Reprint from the Progress Times - May 9, 2008
©Progress Times 2008 - All Rights Reserved

 

Another Mission son falls

 

Mission lost another soldier when 21-year-old U.S. Army explosives expert Pfc. Alex Gonzalez was killed Tuesday morning in Iraq when his vehicle was hit by an Iraqi insurgent rocket-propelled grenade.

Gonzalez, a graduate of Mission High School, is remembered by family members as an outgoing, athletic young man who was quick to stand up for what he believed in.

"Growing up he was a normal kid," said his uncle Freddie Gonzalez. "He wanted to have a dog and played with little trucks and cars. Alex was very energetic. He liked to have fun and had a lot of friends. He did not hesitate to tell people if they were doing something wrong, especially when it came to protecting his sister."

Born January 27, 1987, Gonzalez attended Escandon Middle School, then attended La Joya before graduating from Mission High School where he played football and baseball. Gonzalez joined the Army immediately after graduating high school.

"He would see me coming home when he was small. I was in the National Guard and he wanted to be like me," said Gonzalez. "It just so happened that he joined the Army in a time of war."

Mission High School English teacher Christina Reyna remembers Alex as a dedicated student with a gentle demeanor.

"I have nice memories of him as a student," said Reyna. "Alex was a dedicated student who was very conscientious about his grades. He would often come before school, early, and make sure his assignments were done. He was extra caring about others and always showed loyalty to anything he was involved in. If he was a part of something he was committed to it. Alex liked to be chivalrous in his behavior towards others. I wonder if this was the quality that attracted him to the Army – to be a warrior."

A flag raising ceremony organized by America’s last Patrol has been scheduled for 7 p.m. Saturday, May 10 at the Gonzalez home located at 2200 Barbara Street in Mission.

Gonzalez is the second soldier from Mission killed this year in Iraq. Cpl. Jose Rubio, 24, died in March in a bomb attack.