By Nathan Duke
More than 50 family members and friends of Corona’s Sgt. Alex Jimenez followed a hearse carrying the fallen soldier’s body through the streets of his hometown Thursday, crying loudly as they passed his home on 37th Drive and marched to a neighborhood funeral home.
Jimenez went missing on May 12, 2007, when he and his comrades were ambushed by insurgents in Iraq, the U.S. Defense Department said. For more than one year, his family had been praying for his safe return, but his remains were discovered on July 10. His funeral was planned for Saturday.
“He fought and gave his life for his country,” said Griselda Duran, Jimenez’s aunt. “He is a hero to all of us.”
Jimenez is survived by his 24-year-old wife, his parents and five younger brothers.
See the Aug. 7 editions of the TimesLedger Newspapers for the full story.
