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Home Front: WoT
West Point Buries 'Class of 9-11' Cadet
2006-09-27
WEST POINT, N.Y. (AP) - The first member of West Point's "Class of 9-11" to die in combat was buried at the military academy Tuesday, two weeks after she was killed by a bomb at the head of a convoy in Iraq. 2nd Lt. Emily Perez, 23, was leading a platoon when a roadside bomb exploded Sept. 12 south of Baghdad. She was the first female West Point graduate to die in Iraq and the highest-ranking black and Hispanic woman cadet in the school's history.
A female USMA graduate died in Afghanistan a little while ago, as well. Recent grad, engineer leading efforts to reconstruct roads.
"She was like a little superwoman, so full of energy and life," said Meghan Venable-Thomas, a senior who was on the track team and in the gospel choir with Perez.

The academy's Class of 2005 is called the "Class of 9-11" because the 2001 terrorist attacks occurred just weeks into the students' freshman year. "I think we all hoped it wouldn't happen," said class President James Freeze of the first death among the graduates, who numbered exactly 911. Half of the class remains on duty in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Perez was a Medical Service Corps officer assigned to the 204th Support Battalion, 2nd Brigade, 4th Infantry Division in Fort Hood, Texas.

Dozens of cadets watched as she was buried in the West Point Cemetery. After accepting the folded American flag from Perez's coffin, her mother leaned over, put her forehead on the casket and whispered.

Perez was fluent in German from growing up overseas. She also played the clarinet and helped start an AIDS ministry at her church. Before leaving for Iraq, she donated bone marrow to a stranger. "One of the things important to Emily was not the fear of death, but the fear of not living," the Rev. E. Faith Bell said after the service.
Thank you, Lt. Perez, and God bless your family and mates.
Posted by:Steve White

#10  Rest in peace, Lt. Perez. A grateful country owes you more than they will ever know.

"I think we all hoped it wouldn't happen," said class President James Freeze of the first death among the graduates, who numbered exactly 911.

Here's hoping that there are 911 terrorists killed per every graduate in West Point's 9-11 class. That would total nearly 830,000 dead terrorists and represent a good start in what it will take to rid this world of Islamic fanatics.
Posted by: Zenster   2006-09-27 23:07  

#9  I've read this three times so far today, and wept each time with grief and pride. The Islamofascists send their children off to murder innocents; our young men and women volunteer to go halfway round the world to protect strangers. I have no words weighty enough to be equal to the sacrifice this young woman made freely and with the full knowledge of the situation. We are honoured that she considered this country worth giving her life to... and in the end for.
Posted by: trailing wife   2006-09-27 21:33  

#8  Thank you doesn't seem adequate, but it's all I've got.

Must remember to defer reading these until I'm off work. Hope no one comes to my cube for a few minutes...
Posted by: xbalanke   2006-09-27 17:29  

#7  God bless her. Sometimes it seems that God picks the good ones early. What a loss to us all.
Posted by: anon   2006-09-27 15:20  

#6  Here's an obituary with picture and a link to the guest book.
Posted by: GK   2006-09-27 07:25  

#5  LR-
The friendly rivalries between services aside, I know this: somehow, the Point has always managed to turn out the right person at the right time to help keep this nation safe.

Mike
Posted by: Mike Kozlowski   2006-09-27 06:37  

#4  My heart dies a little death, every time I hear of some brave soldier who fought to defend this country, having died in combat.

I know full well, that most of them did so with their boots on, eyes wide open to their possible destinies when they first joined their country's service.

Like so many others, I am unbelievably grateful to every soldier, sailor, Marine, Coast Guardsman, who gives his life for us.

But much moreso, for those who stayed the course after 9/11, knowing the ultimate sacrifice could be asked of them, by circumstances beyond their control.

God bless Lt. Emily Perez, who seemed to be by all accounts, a little dynamo of courage.

Cheers,
Victoria
Posted by: Victoria   2006-09-27 02:47  

#3  Thus far, 39 West Point graduates have died in the GWOT, starting with 9-11. 37 were on active duty (one other was a retired LTC serving as a contractor in Iraq, and one died as a civilain in the WTC attack).

The 37 WP grads killed on active duty represent 1.08% of ALL COALITION deaths in the two theaters of the GWOT, as listed at http://edition.cnn.com/SPECIALS/2004/oef.casualties/ and http://edition.cnn.com/SPECIALS/2003/iraq/forces/casualties/

That is - more than 1% of all service-related deaths - all military services, all coalition countries.

When you think about it, that is a truly HUGE percentage of a very large population - and speaks to "up-front' role that West Point graduates play.

LR
WP '78

Posted by: Lone Ranger   2006-09-27 01:50  

#2  Indeed it is Hose. I hope time, events and history will vindicate the current effort. I question the worth of it every day.
Posted by: Besoeker   2006-09-27 00:47  

#1  I remember reading about two West Point classmates who died within 24 hours of each other in assaults on Pork Chop Hill. One or both of their bodies were never recovered.

Two years ago at Army-Navy the Navy football team sat three pairs of empty jerseys and shoulder-pads on the bench to represent the three football player Marines that had died in 2nd Fallujah.

What an incredible price we pay.
Posted by: Super Hose   2006-09-27 00:39  

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