Jun 08
23
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Friends, loved ones gather to remember fallen Antioch soldier
San Jose Mercury News, USA - 2 hours ago
Aragon is the second serviceman from Antioch to die in Iraq. On Sept. 24, 2005, Sgt. Daniel Scheile, 37, died from injuries he received while patrolling in ... |
Friends and loved ones gathered Monday at Holy Rosary Parish in Antioch to remember U.S. Army Sgt. John Aragon, who died earlier this month in Iraq.
Members of several motorcycle clubs, including the American Legion Riders, the Patriot Sentinel Riders and the Patriot Guard, arrived on their Harley-Davidsons in a show of support and stood outside the church with American flags. Aragon's parents, John Aragon Sr. and Denise Aragon, walked arm and arm with their daughters, Christina and Brianna, behind the flag-draped coffin as six uniformed pallbearers carried it into the church. Aragon's body was flown to California during the weekend, arriving at Travis Air Force Base. He was interred at Holy Cross Cemetery. A 2004 Antioch High School graduate, the 22-year-old joined the Army in March 2006, his family said. In two years, he achieved the rank of sergeant, a source of great pride for his father. Aragon, a diehard Oakland Raiders fan with the team's name tattooed above his heart, had wanted to join the Army since he was 4, his family said. A year spent at Los Medanos Community College following high school graduation did nothing to diminish his passion for the military. A member of the 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault), Aragon died June 12 in Kadamiyah, northwest of Baghdad, from wounds suffered when his Humvee struck an improvised explosive device, according to the military. The Antioch City Council will honor Aragon with a moment of silence tonight.Aragon is the second service member from Antioch to die in Iraq. On Sept. 24, 2005, Sgt. Daniel Scheile, 37, died from injuries he suffered while patrolling in southeastern Baghdad when a roadside bomb exploded near his armored vehicle. Scheile was with the Army National Guard's 1st Battalion, 184th Infantry.
