Nelson Manuel Lantigua |
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Miami, Florida |
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March 31, 2009 |
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Died as a result of a non-hostile incident in Anbar province, Iraq. |
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Nelson M. Lantigua was the only child of a single mother who gave birth to him when she was 13 years old in Santiago, Dominican Republic His mother, Maria Lantigua, struggled for years to bring her son to the United States. She finally succeeded in time for him to attend high school. Aunts, uncles and his grandmother stepped in to fill the familial gap in the United States, cooperatively raising Lantigua. "Here, he learned to differentiate the good path from the wrong path. He grew as a person," Rafael Lugo said of his son-in-law. Lantigua, 20, of Miami, died March 31 of wounds suffered from a non-combat incident in Anbar province. He was assigned to Camp Lejeune. After spending a few years in the United States, Lantigua longed to return to the Dominican Republic and raise a family. But first he followed the example of his older cousin, Francisco Arturo Santos, who had joined the Marines. The family disapproved of his decision but relented when he told them he felt a need to serve his adoptive country. He also is survived by his wife, Rossana. | ||||||||
Lance Cpl. Nelson M. Lantigua, 20, of Miami, Florida, was born in Los Cocos. He came to live in Florida as a young man where he stayed with his grandmother. He joined the Marine Corps on October 29, 2007, attended boot camp at Paris Island in South Carolina, and did did specialty training at Fort Sill, Oklahoma. He deployed to Iraq in October 2008, assigned to 2nd Battalion, 10 Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division, II Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Lejeune, N.C. Nelson died in Anbar province, Iraq. His awards include the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal and the National Defense Service Medal. Nelson was less than a week away from ending his tour of duty and returning to his new bride and family in Kendall, Florida. | ||||||||
N.C.-based Marine dies in Iraq The Associated Press CAMP LEJEUNE, N.C. — The military says a North Carolina-based Marine has died after a non-hostile incident in Iraq. The Department of Defense said Thursday that 20-year-old Lance Cpl. Nelson M. Lantigua of Miami died on Tuesday in Anbar province. Officials said the incident is under investigation, but no details have been released. Lantigua was assigned to 2nd Battalion, 10 Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division, II Marine Expeditionary Force at Camp Lejeune. |
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Followed cousin’s example in joining Corps The Associated Press Nelson M. Lantigua was the only child of a single mother who gave birth to him when she was 13 years old in Santiago, Dominican Republic. His mother, Maria Lantigua, struggled for years to bring her son to the United States. She finally succeeded in time for him to attend high school. Aunts, uncles and his grandmother stepped in to fill the familial gap in the United States, cooperatively raising Lantigua. “Here, he learned to differentiate the good path from the wrong path. He grew as a person,” Rafael Lugo said of his son-in-law. Lantigua, 20, of Miami, died March 31 of wounds suffered from a noncombat incident in Anbar province. He was assigned to Camp Lejeune. After spending a few years in the United States, Lantigua longed to return to the Dominican Republic and raise a family. But first he followed the example of his older cousin, Francisco Arturo Santos, who had joined the Marines. The family disapproved of his decision but relented when he told them he felt a need to serve his adoptive country. He also is survived by his wife, Rossana. |
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