OBITUARY
Slain soldier from Carrollton was dedicated to Army
12:00 AM CDT on Sunday, October 17, 2010
By TAWNELL D. HOBBS / The Dallas Morning News
[email protected]
Imelda Castillo painfully remembers receiving a call from her daughter
to come home from her job in Farmers Branch on Thursday. There was a
military man at the house with bad news: Castillo's son had been killed
in Afghanistan.
Army Sgt. Carlos A. Benitez, 24, of Carrollton died Thursday from wounds
suffered when insurgents attacked his unit with an improvised explosive
device.
"It's like a part of me left," Castillo said of her feelings when
arriving home to receive the news from the military official.
Also killed were Spc. Rafael Martinez Jr., 36, of Spring Valley, Calif.,
and Pfc. Tramaine J. Billingsley, 20, of Portsmouth, Va.
All three soldiers were assigned to the 7th Squadron, 10th Cavalry
Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division at Fort Carson,
Colo.
Benitez was married and had a 6-year-old daughter from a previous
relationship, Castillo said. He also had two siblings.
Castillo said that her son, a graduate of Creekview High School in the
Carrollton-Farmers Branch school district, was dedicated to the Army.
She said that he wanted to enlist when he was 17 but that she refused to
sign paperwork allowing him to do so. He joined when he was 18.
"It's what he wanted, to be in the Army," Castillo said.
Benitez served two tours in Iraq before being sent for a third in
Afghanistan, she said. Leaving his wife to go on his last tour was
difficult, she said.
Castillo said that she had seen news on TV of soldiers being killed in
Iraq and Afghanistan and never thought of it happening to her son.
"Now I understand what it really feels like," she said.
Funeral arrangements are pending.
Staff Sgt. Carlos Alonzo Benitez was only 24 years old. He served
two tours of duty in Iraq before being deployed to Afghanistan. The
young soldier died Oct. 14 of wounds suffered while on patrol.
Carlos grew up in Irving but he and his family moved to Carrollton.
Carlos attended Creekview High and married Susana, a graduate of Irving
High, in 2009. They had recently moved to be near the Army base in Fort
Carson, Colo.
At his funeral, the Patriot Guard and Irving Police Motorcycle Division
rode in the procession from the church to Dallas-Fort Worth National
Cemetery. Many Irving residents who watched the procession saluted as
the cars drove by. Chapel of the Roses Funeral Home handled the
arrangements.
Texas soldier dies in Afghanistan
Published 10/17/2010 - 8:20 p.m. CST
Army Sgt. Carlos A. Benitez, 24, of Carrollton died Thursday from wounds
suffered when insurgents attacked his unit with an improvised explosive
device between Moqur and Darreh-Ye-Bum.
Benitez was married and had a 6-year-old daughter from a previous
relationship, Castillo said. He also had two siblings. Benitez served
two tours in Iraq before being sent for a third in Afghanistan.
"It's like a part of me left," Imelda Castillo told the Dallas Morning
News of her feelings when arriving home to receive the news of her son's
death from the military official.
Castillo said that her son, a graduate of Creekview High School, was
dedicated to the Army. She the newspaper that he wanted to enlist when
he was 17 but that she refused to sign paperwork allowing him to do so.
He joined when he was 18.
"It's what he wanted, to be in the Army," Castillo said.
Also killed were Spc. Rafael Martinez Jr., 36, of Spring Valley, Calif.,
and Pfc. Tramaine J. Billingsley, 20, of Portsmouth, Va.
All three soldiers were assigned to the 7th Squadron, 10th Cavalry
Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division at Fort Carson,
Colo.
Castillo said that she had seen news on TV of soldiers being killed in
Iraq and Afghanistan and never thought of it happening to her son.
"Now I understand what it really feels like," she said.
Submitted by Edward Lynn Williams
Texas soldier among soldiers who died in
Afghanistan
Posted: Oct 15, 2010 10:55 PM CDT Updated: Oct 15, 2010 10:55 PM CDT
Click image to enlarge
Undated-(KSLA)- The Department of Defense announced on Friday the deaths of
three soldiers who were supporting Operation Enduring Freedom. One of the
soldiers who died is from Carrollton, Texas.
The soldiers died on October 14 of wounds suffered when insurgents attacked
their unit with an improvised explosive device. The soldiers were conducting
combat operations between Moqur and Darreh-Ye-Bum in Afghanistan.
Killed were:
Sgt. Carlos A. Benitez, 24, of Carrollton, Texas.
Spc. Rafael Martinez Jr., 36, of Spring Valley, Calif.
Pfc. Tramaine J. Billingsley, 20, of Portsmouth, Va.
The three soldiers were assigned to the 7th Squadron, 10th Cavalry Regiment, 1st
Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, Fort Carson, Colo.
Submitted by Edward Lynn Williams
Born on November 21, 1985, to Luis Benitez and Imelda Castillo in
Lubbock, Texas, Carlos attended Irving and Carrollton schools throughout
his childhood. Sgt Carlos Benitez had a long time dream of serving in
the military and was finally able to enlist in 2004. He had wanted his
mother to sign early-enlistment papers for him at the age of 17, but she
refused. So Carlos waited till he was 18 yrs old and enlisted anyway.
Sgt Benitez was first stationed at Fort Hood. It was there that he
completed two year-long tours in Iraq. Carlos served in the Army for
nearly six years before deploying to Afghanistan in July of this year.
He spent all of his adult life dedicated to the Army.
In a previous marriage, Carlos was blessed with a daughter. On
January, 11, 2008, Carlos married Susanna M. Cerrato. They had a
church service the following year and were very happy. They had a son
ten months ago, only a few months before Carlos deployed to
Afghanistan. Leaving his wife and children to go on what was to be his
last tour was extremely difficult. Carlos, his wife, daughter, and son,
had recently moved to moved to Colorado for his assignment as a Cavalry
Scout to the 7th Squadron, 10th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat
Team at Ft. Carson’s 4th Infantry Division.
Carlos’s mother, Imelda Castillo, remembers receiving a call at
her work in Farmers Branch on Thursday, from her daughter telling her to
come home. There was a military man at the house with bad news. When
Imelda arrived home, she was informed that her son, Sgt Carlos A
Benitez, had been killed during combat in Afghanistan. Imelda was
informed that her son and two other soldiers were conducting Scouting
operations in Afghanistan between Moqur and Darreh-Ye-Bum when they were
attacked by insurgents with makeshift improvised explosive devices. The
wounds they sustained from the blast were too severe to survive.
Sgt. Benitez’ sister, Aimmee, who is 13 yrs old, says she
remembers him as “a Hero because he died serving our country,” She said
she will miss their time together, his sense of humor, and the safety
she felt when she was near him. But Aimmee doesn’t consider Carlos dead
because she thinks of him as still there with the family.
Imelda would worry when too many days passed without hearing from
him. But she wasn’t the only one concerned. Carlos had been hesitant
about this latest deployment. He didn’t want to leave his wife,
Susanna, his daughter and son, and was even thinking about making a
visit to his 89 yr old grandmother in El Salvador. He wanted to spend
more time with his family and knew he was blessed with a loving family
and prided himself as being a family man.
Imelda placed 24 years of pictures and memories of Carlos on the
kitchen table. While friends and family remembered the times, places,
events, etc. Words spoken were about a life taken too soon, a father
left broken hearted, and a mother who wonders how she will live without
her oldest son. There were no words to describe the devastating grief
that follows news such as this.
Sgt. Carlos Alonso Benitez is truly missed by his wife, Susanna M
Cerrato Benitez; His daughter, Angelina S. Benitez; his son, Ethan A.
Benitez; his parents, Luis A. Benitez and Imelda Castillo; brother,
Louis Benitez; sister, Aimee Benitez; grandmother, Junita Castillo;
mother-in-law, Dilcia S. Acosta; as well as many other family members
and friends.
Sgt. Benitez was a highly decorated soldier. Among the awards,
medals, and citations he was awarded for his heroism were: The Bronze
Star Medal, A Purple Heart, Army Good Conduct Medal, National Defense
Service Medal, Afghanistan Campaign Medal with Bronze Service Star, Iraq
Campaign Medal with 3 Bronze Service Stars, Global War on Terrorism
Service Medal, Non-Commissioned Officers Professional Development
Ribbon, Army Service Ribbon, 3 Overseas Service Ribbons, NATO Medal,
Valorous Unit Award, Combat Action Badge, Combat and Skill Badge, Basic
Marksmanship Qual Badge as Expert, and 4 Overseas Service Bars.
Stand Down Soldier. Your work is done.
Salute.
Cindy
Loved ones remember Carrollton soldier's compassion at funeral
By DEBORAH FLECK / The Dallas Morning News [email protected]
Staff Sgt. Carlos Alonzo Benitez got married at Holy Family Church in
Irving in 2009. Friends and family gathered for the soldier at the church once
again Saturday, for his funeral.
The 24-year-old from Carrollton died Oct. 14 of wounds he suffered while on
patrol in Afghanistan. He had served two tours of duty in Iraq before being
deployed to Afghanistan. He was posthumously promoted to staff sergeant and
awarded a Bronze Star and a Purple Heart for his service.
Brig. Gen. Arnold Gordon-Bray spoke at the service. Sgt. Benitez was under his
command and based at Fort Carson, Colo.
Two of the soldier's best friends also paid tribute to his compassion.
"He was sweet and soft," a teary-eyed Jessica Moreno said.
"He befriended many people," Misael Ramos recalled. "I'll miss him."
Ramos also talked about how proud the soldier was of his family.
Sgt. Benitez was the father of Ethan and Angelina Benitez. The two children,
along with wife Susana Benitez and mother Imelda Castillo, carried up the gifts
during the Catholic Mass.
Sgt. Benitez grew up in Irving before moving with his family to Carrollton. He
attended Creekview High School. Carrollton Mayor Ron Branson, an Air Force
veteran who served in Vietnam, attended the service.
Many residents who saw the procession after the funeral stopped and saluted or
held their hands over their hearts.
At one point along the route, the Irving Fire Department displayed a large
American flag, using two fire trucks' ladders as posts to support it.
Under cloudy skies, the soldier was buried at Dallas-Fort Worth National
Cemetery.
In addition to his wife and two children, he is survived by his parents, Luis A.
Benitez and Imelda Castillo of Carrollton; a brother, Louis Benitez of
Carrollton; a sister, Aimmee Benitez of Carrollton; and his grandmother, Juanita
Castillo of Carrollton. Chapel of the Roses Funeral in Irving handled the
arrangements.
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