Another American hero has been buried in Katy, TX, a booming, middle-to-upper-middle class suburb to the west of Houston.

A Katy Marine was honored as a hometown hero by family, friends and strangers who lined the streets waving American flags after his funeral service on Saturday.

Sgt. James R. Tijerina, 26, became the sixth member of the military from the Katy area to die in the war when his CH-46 Sea Knight helicopter crashed in Iraq on Feb. 7.

Those who gathered Saturday morning at Katy's Epiphany of the Lord Catholic Community to pay their respects remembered him as a caring man who loved God, his country, friends and family.

The photographic pieces of his life, from smiling newborn and Katy High School football player to Marine standing proudly in his uniform, were vividly displayed a few feet from his flag-draped casket.

Sgt. Tijerina was a young man with many opportunities before him who CHOSE the military. He made a decision to serve, and to continue serving even though he knew that his decision would place him in harm's way in Iraq. Indeed, after joining the Marines in 2002, J.R. Tijerina had recently chosen to reenlist for five more years of service to his country -- a decision common among his fellow members of the armed forces today. J.R. Tijerina was not an ignorant child with no choices, no hope and no future other than the military -- he was an American patriot who made the decision to be a part of something greater than himself when he chose to serve his country.

I believe the pastor of Sgt. Tijerina's boyhood church summed up his life and sacrifice well.

The Rev. Monsignor Jack Dinkins, who presided over the ceremony, said a poem Tijerina wrote expressed how he interpreted life and revealed all he was trying to be.

"It's about his beliefs, faith in America as a great nation and ideals of freedom," Dinkins said. "For a young man to have these thoughts about his country is remarkable."

Tijerina, who joined the Marines in 2002, had re-enlisted for five more years.

After his comments, Dinkins asked that Tijerina be given a standing ovation.

"J.R. not only gave his life to his country," he said, "he gave his life to the people in Iraq."

Sgt. J.R. Tijerina laid down his life for his fellow man, which my faith tells me is the greatest sort of love that there is. May his sacrifice, and the sacrifices of every other member of the American military killed or wounded in Iraq, not have been in vain.

An online guestbook honoring Sgt. J.R. Tijerina can be found here.

And I have a request for anyone who may read this post -- Msgr. Dinkins mentions the poem that Sgt. Tijerina wrote. If you have access to it, would you please add it to the comment section or email it to me so that I can include it in this post as a tribute to Sgt. Tijerina and the sacrifice he made.

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Posted by: Greg at 05:05 PM | Comments (7) | Add Comment
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