Previous Story
Death of NMI soldiers
|
Posted on Dec 31 2005
The CNMI was shaken early Tuesday morning of All Souls Day by the news that two soldiers from Saipan were killed in Iraq when a bomb blew up while they were on patrol on Oct. 31, Monday night (Saipan time).
CNMI residents SSG Derence Jack, 31, and CPL Wilgene Lieto, 28, were both due to come back home in less than four months.
Jack and Lieto, who were with the Echo Company, were U.S. Army Reserve members called to active duty in August 2004. After months of training, they left for a one-year tour of duty in Iraq in January 2005.
The bodies of Jack and Lieto were flown back to the CNMI on Nov. 9 where more than 6,000 CNMI residents lined up along the highway leading to Saipan’s airport to show their support and grief for the losses.
Though the bodies were flown on a delayed flight, families, close relatives, and friends waited and were given the chance to pay their respect to the soldiers, with a private viewing of the remains inside the airport.
Reports showed that the two soldiers were on patrol when an improvised explosive device blew up and hit their vehicle Monday morning in Iraq (evening on Saipan) and the explosion caused the soldiers’ car to overturn.
Both soldiers were interred a week after their bodies reached their families. The two fallen soldiers were given full military honors during the celebration of the Veterans Day at the American Memorial Park on Nov. 11. See page 1 for related story.
