Frances M. Vega

Frances Marie Vega (September 2, 1983 – November 2, 2003) was a United States Army soldier who was killed in the Iraq War. She is the first female soldier of Puerto Rican descent to have died in a war zone. In 2008, she was honored for epitomizing "the character and patriotism of the countless American Soldiers who have answered the call to defend freedom" in a ceremony that named a main gate at the Fort Buchanan Army Base in her honor.

Frances M. Vega
Birth nameFrances Marie Benitez
Nickname(s)"That Girl Benitez"
Born(1983-09-02)September 2, 1983
San Francisco, California, U.S.
DiedNovember 2, 2003(2003-11-02) (aged 20)
Al Fallujah, Iraq
Buried
Puerto Rico National Cemetery, Bayamon, Puerto Rico
Allegiance United States of America
Service/branch United States Army
Years of service2001-2003
Rank Specialist
Unit151st Adjutant General Postal Detachment 3, 13th COSCOM
Battles/warsIraq War
Awards Bronze Star
Purple Heart

Early life and education

Vega was born in San Francisco, California into a military family. Her father was stationed there as a member of the United States Army. After her father retired from the U.S. Army the family moved and settled in Puerto Rico where she continued her education at Antilles High School at Fort Buchanan, Puerto Rico and graduated in 2001.[1][2]

Influenced by her military background and by the aftermath of the September 11 attacks she decided to enlisted in the U.S. Army, where she met her future husband and was married. Vega was assigned to the 151st Adjutant General Postal Detachment 3 at Fort Hood, Texas.[1] She was deployed to Iraq as part of the Global War on Terrorism.

Death
El Monumento de la Recordación

On November 2, 2003, a surface-to-air missile was fired by insurgents in al Fallujah and it hit the Chinook helicopter that Vega was in. She was one of 16 soldiers who were killed in the crash that followed.[1][3] At the time, The Los Angeles Times and The New York Times reported that with 16 killed and more than 20 wounded, it was the most deadly incident since major operations in Iraq had been declared over on May 1, 2003.[3][4] According to the U.S. Department of Defense, Vega was "the first female Puerto Rican soldier born in the United States to die in a war zone."[5]

Vega was buried in the Section L, Row 0, Site 7[6] of the Puerto Rico National Cemetery located in the city of Bayamon, Puerto Rico with full military honors and was posthumously awarded a Bronze Star for bravery and a Purple Heart Medal.[1]

Legacy
Plaque honoring Vega, during a gate dedication ceremony held at Fort Buchanan, Puerto Rico

The post office on Camp Victory North, located in Baghdad, Iraq, was renamed the Frances M. Vega Army Post Office, and after the Post Office closed, a sign from the office was moved to the U.S. Army Adjutant General's Corps Museum in 2012.[7] The Main Gate at Fort Buchanan Army Base is named the SPC Frances M. Vega gate in her honor.[8]

Her name along with the others who have been killed in Afghanistan and Iraq, was engraved on the "El Monumento de la Recordación" (English: Monument of Remembrance), dedicated to Puerto Rico's fallen soldiers and situated in front of the Capitol Building in San Juan, Puerto Rico[5] and unveiled by Puerto Rico Senate President Kenneth McClintock and P.R. National Guard Adjutant General Col. David Carrión on Memorial Day, 2007.

Vega is also listed on the 13th Sustainment Command memorial, dedicated at Fort Hood, Texas on September 17, 2010.[9] She is listed #4 of 106 total names of the soldiers who served with the 13th Sustainment Command (formerly known as the 13th Corps Support Command).

Awards and decorations
Bronze Star
Purple Heart Army Commendation Medal National Defense Service Medal
Global War on Terrorism Service Medal Iraq Campaign Medal w/ one service star Army Service Ribbon

See also

References
  1. Griffith, Frank (November 10, 2003). "Puerto Rican soldier killed in Chinook helicopter downing buried with full military honors". Associated Press. Archived from the original on March 14, 2007.
  2. Davis Jr, Command Sgt. Maj. Archie L. (September 30, 2010). "A brief history of Hispanic women in our Army". Fort Hood Sentinel. Retrieved 4 February 2021.
  3. Kelly, David (November 4, 2003). "Soldiers' Deaths Devastate Bases". The Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 4 February 2021.
  4. Davey, Monica (November 9, 2003). "THE STRUGGLE FOR IRAQ: CASUALTIES; Lucky Break for Soldiers Heading Home From Iraq Turns to Heartbreak for Families". The New York Times. Retrieved 4 February 2021.
  5. Collins, Shannon (October 14, 2016). "Puerto Ricans Represented Throughout U.S. Military History". DOD News. U.S. Department of Defense. Retrieved 4 February 2021.
  6. PRNC
  7. 1st Theater Sustainment Command (May 31, 2012). "Black Jack Express June 1 Desert Vision Version". U.S. Central Command. Retrieved 5 February 2021.
  8. "From the Garrison Commander" (PDF). El Morro Vol. 2 (6). Public Affairs Office, U.S. Army Garrison. March 2016. p. 2. Retrieved 5 February 2021.
  9. "13th ESC dedicates GWOT memorial, honors heroes in 'long overdue' ceremony". Fort Hood Sentinel.

Further reading
  • Boudonck, Greg. Puertorriquenos Who Served With Guts, Glory, and Honor: Fighting to Defend a Nation Not Completely Their Own. ISBN 978-1497421837.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.