Tributes January 26, 2007 Vanessa Garcia I don't know where to begin..The days feel like years since my cousin Santos was taken from us in Iraq.I try to hold back the pain in my heart everyday I cant stop thinking of you. Everything I do reminds me of my Bear. If only I had one more day with you I would cherish every minute of it. What im trying to say is I MISS YOU:(  Before the week of October 2nd I counted down the days for him to come home, he was supposed to arrive home that week. From planning our family BBQ's, picking out his favorite dancing music,and to the wonderful welcome home signs. My parents backyard wont ever be the same without Bear he made our family stronger. Now everyday is a struggle the pain is never-ending. He was the type of person that never wanted to see his lil cousins sad or mad and if so, he would do everything in his power to make things right. He was the older brother I never had and still breaks my heart that he's not with us.   It has been 8 months since his death and the loss of him is still overwhelming and gets harder day by day. We will never be the same, but we our honored that Santos served for our Country. I am proud of all our servicemen & women. Since Santos' death I have never actually looked at the war from a personal point of view. To lose someone very close to you as I did makes you realize life is too short. I respect my cousin for doing half of the things he did and one day I hope I have half of the courage as he did. Its very hard knowing that Im not going to see him ever again breaks my heart in so many ways.I miss Bear and we wanted him to come home. His loss made a big whole in our hearts and I know he was a hero to all of us. My cousin sacrificed his life so that we'll all have the freedom to live unlike he did. Theres a lot of families that could relate to the problem of losing a loved one and for that my heart will always be with you guys. Support our troops in Iraq and God bless... WE LOVE YOU BEAR AND YOUR FOREVER IN OUR HEARTS!!! Very Close Cousin In Honor Of SPC. Santos Raymond Armijo On October 2, 2006, Army Specialist Santos R. Armijo became the 80th Arizona service member to be killed in the war in Iraq. He and three other soldiers -- two from Georgia and one from Illinois -- lost their lives to a roadside bomb, as have so many others among the more than 2700 Americans killed in the war to date. By all accounts, Specialist Armijo served his country well and honorably, and his obituary noted that he would be remembered for "laughter, loud music, dancing, and [a] beautiful heart." It also noted that he was affectionately nicknamed "Bear." His funeral, well-attended by family, friends, and media, was held at St. Mary's Basilica in downtown Phoenix.An honor guard of veterans had assembled between the bottom of the steps and the waiting hearse to form a corridor of flags through which the cortege would pass.  Our tribute to Spc. Armijo -- and to the other thousands of men and women who serve honorably in America's armed forces in Iraq and elsewhere. And especially to the growing numbers of those who have made the supreme sacrifice while doing so. Regardless of whether one still believes this conflict to be a righteous and noble cause, a catastrophic blunder, a hopeless quagmire, or anything in between, I think all of us can agree that war, reduced to its bare essence, is composed of thousands of individual tragedies, each of which has a multiplier effect. Specialist Armijo is now dead, even though his life had only barely begun. His family and friends must now cope with his loss and get on with their own lives as best they can. The same is true of the other three soldiers killed along with him, and their families and friends. And lest any of us forget, it is equally true of the dozens of innocent Iraqis -- men, women, and children alike -- killed that same day in random attacks and bombings throughout the country. Meanwhile, the violence and killing only seem to generate more of the same, and war in general is perhaps the most tragic manifestation of the flaws inherent in human nature. But unfortunately for all of us! , as Plato, the wisest of all ancient philosophers, observed, "Only the dead have seen the end of war." Other Tributes

Spc. Raymond S. Armijo United States Army KIA October 2, 2006, Iraq

Raymond S. Armijo, who was known as "Bear," had a tattoo on his forearm. On one side it said, "The choices we make." On the other side, it said "are the people we become." "He became a hero to us because of the choices he made," said his aunt, Michelle Mancilla. Armijo, 22, of Phoenix, was killed Oct. 2 in Taji from a roadside bomb. He was assigned to Fort Hood. "My son planned to come back and get married, then get a job with the FBI, working SWAT," Tina Armijo said. "And he wanted to buy a truck. He really wanted a truck. He was happy, funny, and always looking to the future." Armijo, who moved with his mother to Phoenix at age 4, loved trying new foods, listening to all kinds of music and unabashedly singing along. He had aspirations of someday joining the FBI. Standing more than 6 feet tall and known for his megawatt smile, Armijo was seen as the "gentle giant" of the family. "He was the type of guy that was the middle man," said Mancilla. "He never had anything bad to say about people. He got along with everyone." Armijo was engaged to fiancee Genavieve Gloria. "They decided to bury him with his wedding ring," said Louie Olivas, Armijo's uncle. He also is survived by his father, Raymond.