Nathaniel A. Aguirre

Fallen Carrollton Soldier 'wanted to serve'

05:11 PM CDT on Thursday, October 26, 2006

By MARISSA ALANIS / The Dallas Morning News

Nathaniel Aguirre couldn't wait to serve his country.

He joined the reserves while still in high school in the Carrollton-Farmers Branch school district,
and put off plans to attend Texas A&M so he could sign up for the Army.

“He didn’t want to wait four years to go into the service,” his father, Louis L. Aguirre of Carrollton, said Thursday. “He wanted to serve."

Spc. Aguirre, 21, died Sunday in Baghdad from injuries suffered when his patrol encountered enemy forces.
He was an Army medic assigned to the 1st Battalion, 22nd Infantry Regiment,
2nd Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division based at Fort Hood.

Spc. Aguirre blogged about his experiences in Iraq on his MySpage page. Since his death, his page on the social networking Web site
has turned into an online memorial where friends and others have posted messages about him.

Spc. Aguirre was born in Dec. 11, 1984, in San Antonio. His family later moved to Carrollton, where Spc. Aguirre met his best friend,
Joseph Posenecker, at a church gathering.

Mr. Posenecker described Spc. Aguirre as a leader and a responsible person.

“Always keeping us in line,” Mr. Posenecker said of his friend. “Very outgoing and always wanted to be kind of the best at everything.”

Family members said Spc. Aguirre had an adventurous spirit. He enjoyed rock climbing so much so that he volunteered
at Stoneworks Climbing Gym in Carrollton so he could climb for free. He later became a rock climbing instructor at the gym.

Spc. Aguirre also was passionate about being a Boy Scout, said his mother, Mary Laureana Aguirre.
He designated the Boy Scouts as one of his life insurance beneficiaries, his parents said.

“Boy Scouts presented him with structured adventures and learning along with teaching him leadership skills,
responsibility, integrity and loyalty that he embraced with such happiness,” Mrs. Aguirre said.

Funeral services are pending.

E-mail malanis@dallasnews.com

Cpl. Nathaniel A. Aguirre, 21, wanted to study architecture at Texas A&M University, said Sgt. Richard Etter.
Aguirre's fellow soldiers nicknamed him "Care Bear," Etter said.

Crowds line streets to honor fallen soldier

BY DAN EAKIN

Published: Friday, November 3, 2006 3:25 PM CST

Staff Writer

When Army Spc. Nathaniel Aguirre learned that he was going to be sent to Iraq, he knew there was a possibility that he would not come home alive.

Aguirre, 21, who had joined the Army reserves in high school and the U.S. Army after graduation, was killed on Oct. 22 by while working as a combat medic in Baghdad.

The 2003 graduate of Creekview High School in Carrollton did not know that his sacrifice for his country would be recognized by thousands
who lined the streets of Carrollton and other cities as a motorcade and hearse carrying his body passed by.

The large St. Catherine of Siena Catholic Church on Peters Colony Drive in Carrollton was almost filled to capacity Thursday morning as priests
offered words of comfort to the family and as a relative eulogized the fallen soldier.

Outside the church, soldiers, members of the Patriot Honor Guard and Christian Motorcycle Association stood at attention on the flag-filled lawn
as the flag-draped casket was brought out of the church and loaded into the waiting hearse.

With members of the Carrollton Police Department in front, the honor guard and other motorcycle riders led the hearse and motorcade past Blalack Middle School
which is across the street from the church, over to Creekview High School, then back down Standridge Street to Frankford Street.

Students at Blalack, Creekview and Rainwater Elementary School had been allowed to leave their classrooms and align the streets as the motorcade and hearse passed by.

Not a word was spoken. The only sounds that were heard were those of the motorcycles and an occasional brief blast from a siren.

Students, faculty members, residents and employees of businesses along the route stood solemnly and silently as the motorcade and hearse passed by.
Many standing by the streets held U.S. flags of various sizes at an angle. Many saluted and others held a hand over their heart.

A security guard for the Carrollton-Farmers Branch Independent School District commented, “This is quite a civics lesson for these students.”

Aguirre had been a Boy Scout. Scouts in uniform were seen along the route. Some were holding flags. All were saluting.

Some businesses on Frankford had lowered their huge flags outside to half staff.

Carrollton police, firefighters with fire trucks and other city employees assisted in traffic control as the motorcade and hearse headed west on Frankford
and then south on I-35 toward South Texas.

The motorcade and hearse then continued its journey of almost 300 miles south on U.S. 67 and then south on U.S. 281 toward Spring Branch,
just north of San Antonio. Guard changes were made in Hamilton and Burnet.

Another funeral service for Aguirre was held Friday morning at the St. Joseph Church Honey Creek in Spring Branch, near the burial site.

Aguirre is survived by his parents, Louis and Mary Aguirre, and a sister, Melissa.

Sparkman Dickey Funeral Home was in charge of arrangements.

A member of the Aguirre family said, “The Aguirre family wishes to express their appreciation to everyone for their prayers, sympathy and support.
Keep our soldiers, their families and our leaders in your prayers.”

MSG Jeffery Godines (on the far left in the photo) who was the Medical Platoon Sergeant of
Nathaniel Aguirre in 1-22 Infantry presents the guidon of the Medical Platoon to the family
of Nathaniel Aguirre at Fort Hood in February 2007.

In July 2019 several former soldiers who served with Nathaniel Aguirre
travelled to his gravesite to pay their respects. The following photos
of that visit are from retired MSG Jeffery Godines.

"I was the medical platoon sergeant for 1/22 from 2005-2007. We deployed to Iraq during that time.
One of my medics, CPL Nathan Aguirre was the battalion commanders PSD medic and was KIA
on October 22nd 2006. Last month myself and some of my old soldiers were able to get together and go visit Nate
at his final resting place in Texas. It truly did my soul good to visit Nate and also spend time with my brothers."

CPT Chase Cradeur, MSG Jeffery Godines, SFC Luis Venegas, SGT Carlos Garcia
at the grave of Nathaniel Aguirre.

Left:

Gravesite of Nathaniel Aguirre

Photo courtesy of MSG Jeffery Godines (Ret.)

The memorial plaque for Nathaniel Aguirre at the 4th Infantry Division Wall of Honor
at Fort Hood, Texas.

To view a tribute to Nathaniel A. Aguirre visit his memorial page
on the Fallen Heroes Project website by clicking on the following link: