Army Spc. Mejias was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 66th Armor Regiment, 172nd Infantry Brigade Combat Team, Grafenwoehr, Germany. He died of wounds sustained when a mine detonated near him during combat operations. Israel's fellow soldiers considered him their brother. He was always able to lift their spirits with his wicked sense of humor and love for martial arts which he often practiced on them. Israel was on his second deployment and was looking forward to getting out of the Army but had been extended because of stop-loss. He planned on becoming a helicopter pilot in Puerto Rico, buying a house and starting a family with his wife, Angela. Anyone who saw Israel and Angela together could tell how much they loved each other – he would do anything for her. Capt. Daniel Godbey, who was Israel's company commander for 14 months, was very thoughtful when thinking about him. He will always remember how cold Israel always was – if the temperature fell below 95 degrees, he wanted to wear snivel gear; and he will always remember his grin. It didn't matter how bad or how good things were going, Israel always had a smile on his face.
Army Spc. Mejias was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 66th Armor Regiment, 172nd Infantry Brigade Combat Team, Grafenwoehr, Germany. He died of wounds sustained when a mine detonated near him during combat operations. Israel's fellow soldiers considered him their brother. He was always able to lift their spirits with his wicked sense of humor and love for martial arts which he often practiced on them. Israel was on his second deployment and was looking forward to getting out of the Army but had been extended because of stop-loss. He planned on becoming a helicopter pilot in Puerto Rico, buying a house and starting a family with his wife, Angela. Anyone who saw Israel and Angela together could tell how much they loved each other – he would do anything for her. Capt. Daniel Godbey, who was Israel's company commander for 14 months, was very thoughtful when thinking about him. He will always remember how cold Israel always was – if the temperature fell below 95 degrees, he wanted to wear snivel gear; and he will always remember his grin. It didn't matter how bad or how good things were going, Israel always had a smile on his face.
Sponsored by Ancestry
Advertisement
Advertisement
