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Louis R Torres

Oberlin, Ohio

August 22, 2012

Age

Military

Rank

Unit/Location

Army

Sgt

2nd Battalion, 3rd Infantry Regiment, 3rd Stryker Brigade Combat Team

Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Washington

Died Aug. 22, in San Antonio, Texas, of wounds suffered when he encountered an enemy improvised explosive device, Aug. 6, in Kandahar, Afghanistan.

JBLM soldier dies of Afghanistan injuries

The Associated Press

JOINT BASE LEWIS McCHORD, Wash. — A sergeant from Joint Base Lewis McChord has died at an Army medical center in San Antonio, Texas, from wounds he suffered earlier this month from an improvised explosive in Afghanistan’s Kandahar province, according to the Defense Department.

The News-Tribune reported that Sgt. Louis Torres of Oberlin, Ohio, was a combat veteran who was assigned to the base for most of his career. He was serving on his second deployment with Lewis-McChord’s 3rd Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division.

The 23-year-old belonged to a conventional infantry unit that trained to work with Special Operations Forces in Afghanistan by guarding outposts and supporting raids.

Torres joined the Army in June 2008 and had been with Lewis-McChord units since October of that year. He served with the 3rd Brigade in Iraq from August 2009 to June 2010, when it was one of the last combat brigades to fight there.

Twenty-four Lewis-McChord soldiers have died in Afghanistan this year.

From cleveland.com 08/23/12

Sgt. Louis R. Torres of Oberlin dies of wounds suffered in Afghanistan
Print Tonya Sams, The Plain Dealer By Tonya Sams, The Plain Dealer
on August 23, 2012 at 9:09 PM

OBERLIN, Ohio — A 23-year-old soldier from Oberlin died Wednesday in San Antonio, Texas, after being injured Aug. 6 while on duty in Kandahar, Afghanistan.
Sgt. Louis R. Torres was injured by "an enemy improvised explosive device," according to a news release from the Department of Defense.

"He was very outgoing, very much a leader," said his mother, Armanda Ellis. "He loved fighting for his country."

The decorated soldier joined the Army in June 2008 after graduating from Lorain County Joint Vocation School in Oberlin. While at JVS he played football and took classes in law enforcement and security.

"I knew something was up," said Ellis, referring to his interest in the military while in high school. "During his 12th-grade year, I kept getting calls from the Army and Marines. I kept hanging up on them."

Ellis remembers that even as a 5- or 6-year-old Torres loved to play with military men. He was also a history buff, sitting in front of the television watching the History Channel, learning about various wars and battles.

Two weeks after graduating, Torres told his mother that he needed his birth certificate because he had joined the Army.

Torres immediately started training at Fort Benning in Georgia. By October 2008 he was stationed at Joint Base Lewis-McChord in Washington. He was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 3rd Infantry Regiment, 3rd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division.

He was deployed to Iraq from August 2009 from June 2010. He deployed with his brigade to Afghanistan last December, according to Department of Defense. He had just more than a month remaining on his tour.

Torres had just visited his family in Oberlin at the end of June. He returned to duty July 2, a few days before his birthday on July 5.

Ellis said that her other son, Alberto Torres, 24, who was also stationed in Afghanistan, was told by officials that his brother had been injured. He accompanied Torres to Germany before being transferred to San Antonio. Military officials awarded Louis Torres a Purple Heart after he arrived in San Antonio. He had already won a number of honors, including Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, National Defense Service Medal and Afghanistan Campaign Medal.

"He was a leader, not a follower," his mother said. "He was very kind-hearted and a great son. He was always thinking of me. He made sure that I was on Facebook so he could tell me Happy Mother's Day and Valentine's Day."

He wanted to wait before starting a family.

"He was trying to do it right," his mother said.

Besides his mother, older brother Alberto and father Alberto Torres Sr., he also is survived by his brother, Andre Ellis, 18, and a sister, Ayanna Morrison, 14.

A memorial service will be held at the hospital in San Antonio. He should return to Oberlin next week with services to possibly be held Friday, Aug. 31.

"I'm very proud of him," said Ellis. " He was so dedicated. He was good at what he did."

From FOX 8 Cleveland fox8.com 08/23/15:

Oberlin Soldier Wounded in Afghanistan Dies
POSTED 8:09 PM, AUGUST 23, 2012, BY JESSICA DABROWSKI

OBERLIN, Ohio — A soldier from Oberlin died after he was wounded while supporting Operation Enduring Freedom, the Department of Defense confirmed on Thursday.

Sgt. Louis R. Torres, 23, passed away in San Antonio, Texas, on Aug. 22.

According to the Department of Defense, Torres encountered an enemy improvised explosive device on Aug. 6, in Kandahar, Afghanistan.

He was assigned to 2nd Battalion, 3rd Infantry Regiment, 3rd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Wash.

Torres joined the army in June 2008.

He deployed to Afghanistan with his brigade in December 2011, which was his second deployment.

He previously served in Iraq from August 2009 through June 2010.

Torres’ awards and decorations include the Army Commendation Medal, Meritorious Unit Citation, Army Good Conduct Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Afghanistan Campaign Medal with campaign star, Iraq Campaign Medal with Campaign Star, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, Army Service Ribbon, and Overseas Ribbon.