ÿþ<html> <head> <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=windows-1252"> <meta name="GENERATOR" content="Microsoft FrontPage 4.0"> <meta name="ProgId" content="FrontPage.Editor.Document"> <title>Article in The Monitor Newspaper 11</title> <!--mstheme--><link rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" href="_themes/citrus/citr1101.css"><meta name="Microsoft Theme" content="citrus 1101, default"> </head> <body> <div> <div style="position: relative; width: 16; height: 1; top: 0px; left: 0px; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px" class="HTMLImage"> </div> </div> <p align="left"><b><font size="4" color="#0000FF" face="GoudyOlSt BT">Fernando de la Rosa was born on June 21, 1985, in McAllen, Texas. Fernando, was known as  Nando, to both the De La Rosa clan and the Reyes clan of Alamo, Texas. Nando grew up as a cheerful child. He loved to play sports such as baseball and flag football. Nando was good at playing these sports and was very competitive. Nando also enjoyed other things beside sports. He loved to go the park with his parents and his brothers. But one of his favorite things to do was to go to the beach. When he became a young man, he discovered that he liked to attend parties and dances where he enjoyed charming the young ladies. Nando attended the Pharr-San Juan-Alamo Memorial High School where he began to dream of joining the military. Nando joined the High School J.R.O.T.C. program and one could see that he was very proud to wear his uniform.&nbsp; When he graduated, he enlisted into the United States Army to serve his country and become all that he could be. Just as the slogan states  Be All That You Can Be. After his basic training in Fort Benning, Georgia, the army sent him to Germany. While stationed in Germany,Fernando met Karen, his wife, and they had two children. The oldest is named Fernando Jr. and the youngest is named Juan Carlos. Fernando Jr. resembles Nando as a child. At this time Fernando received orders that he was going to Iraq where he served two tours. After his second tour Fernando was then assigned to Fort Lewis, Washington where he moved with his family. On one of his military leaves, Nando and his family visited his hometown of Alamo. Both the De La Rosa and Reyes families received them with love and respect. The Mayor of Alamo, Texas, Mr. Rudy Villarreal, proclaimed June 4th as  Sgt. Fernando De La Rosa Day. That made his homecoming celebration day very special. After his brief visit in Alamo, Nando and his family then returned to Ft. Lewis where he decided that if he was called again to serve another tour, Fernando would not hesitate to go. He then received orders to deploy to the country of Afghanistan. On October 27, 2009, Sgt. Fernando De La Rosa Sr. made the ultimate sacrifice for his country and family. Sgt. Fernando De La Rosa Sr. and his fellow soldiers where killed in a road side bomb.<br> &nbsp;<br>  Sgt. Fernando De La Rosa Sr. and his men are gone but will never be forgotten. He and his men will always be remembered as Heroes .</font><font size="4" face="Arial" color="#0000FF"><br> </font></b></p> </body> </html>