Bird Springs man paid the ultimate sacrifice
By Natasha Kaye Johnson
Diné Bureau
BIRD SPRINGS The late Sgt. Christopher Neil Gonzalez of
Bird Springs, Ariz. gave the ultimate sacrifice for his country.
He was killed in action on May 14.
Gonzalez, 25, was one of two soldiers who died in Salman Pak, Iraq,
of wounds suffered when his unit came under attack of enemy forces
with I.E.D. and small arms fire.
On Friday, family, friends, and his community gathered together
to mourn his death, but also to remember his life as a husband,
father, and son. Over 500 people were in attendance as Pastor Brad
Hicks delivered a eulogy over a video cast shown on two giant television
screens at the Bird Springs Full Gospel Church.
Pastor Hicks spoke of Gonzales legacy as a man and his devotion
to his Christian beliefs. He spoke of the love he had for his wife,
Tonita Gonzalez, and his six-year old son, Breenen.
He recalled how he and his wife got married on December 31, 2001,
and how he was deployed the following day. The memory made him smile,
but he became serious and solemn when he spoke of Gonzalez's service
to the Navajo and American people.
"He was proud to be an American," said Hicks. "He
was willing to pay the ultimate price."
After six years of being in the Army, Gonzalez was promoted to the
rank of Sergeant. In his time as a soldier, he volunteered with
the Ronald McDonald House and was a volunteer with the Special Olympics
among other things. He was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 15th Infantry
Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division, in Ft.
Benning, G.A.
Those who knew him best didn't hesitate to use words like "committed,"
"courageous," and "sincere" to describe his
character.
"He was always positive," said one fellow soldier in the
video cast. "He was like a breath of fresh air."
The delivery of the eulogy via-video cast was a request made by
Gonzalez before he passed.
Emotions ran strong when a 25-minute slide show of Gonzalez was
shown. Music played in the background depicting each segment of
photographs. The pictures served almost as a timeline of Gonzalez's
life. There were pictures of him as a young boy, others from teenage
years as a student at Sanders High School where he was wearing his
basketball uniform and taking pictures at home before going to prom,
and some where he was fishing or just being goofy at family cookouts.
But the most intimate of the photos were of him spending time with
his son as a newborn, toddler, and young boy.
The picture show was followed by a reading out of Gonzalez's journal
by Brenda Long, a friend to Gonzalez and his wife. A tearful Long
explained to the audience how she and she husband, who also served
in the Army in Ft. Benning, G.A., became good friends with Gonzalez
and his family after they met at a store.
Gonzalez's journal entry's expressed his love for God.
"I want to show what beautiful things he has done for my family,"
he had written. "It's amazing how he built the Earth for us,
for me."
His entries shared the emotions he felt when leaving for Iraq.
"Today was a hard day. I had to say good-by to my family,"
he had written.
Gonzalez wrote that he thought he would have been more prepared
to leave, but shared how he was not at all prepared.
"I'm starting to understand combat vets and why they're so
proud," he wrote. "It's because they made so many sacrifices."
In a letter to his wife, he began with "Happy Monday"
as his opening greeting, and talked about the dentist, horses, and
how he wish he were home to see his son's graduation.
"Happy Mother's Day," he continued in a recent letter
to his wife. "Go spend some money on yourself!"
The Air Force National Guard, the U.S. Army, the Arizona National
Guard, the Arizona Patriot Guard Riders, and Navajo Nation Honor
Riders presented awards and honors to Gonzalez's wife and mother,
Judy Nez. They were given the Purple Heart and Bronze Star among
a number of other distinguished honors and awards for Gonzalez's
injuries and his dedication to the War on Terrorism.
Representatives from the Speaker's Office and Office of the President
and Vice-president expressed their condolences on behalf of Speaker
Lawrence T. Morgan and Joe Shirley, Jr..
"We cannot forget that what is best about our country lies
on their shoulders," said T.C. Tso, of the President's office,
after asking the veterans in attendance to stand-up. He told Tonita
that she wasn't alone.
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Weekend
May 26, 2007
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