Friday, August 29, 2003

By Milan Simonich, Post-Gazette Staff Writer

Rafael Navea hated to leave behind his wife and three young sons, but with war looming, he considered it his duty to re-enlist in the U.S. Army.

"He loved his country. He wanted to serve it, and he got killed doing that," said his mother, Lucia Kirkpatrick.

Mr. Navea, 34, an Army specialist with the 5th Field Artillery Regiment, died Wednesday in Al Fallujah, Iraq, when the truck he was driving struck an explosive device similar to a land mine.

Six other soldiers were with him. Three were wounded.

Mr. Navea re-enlisted in November while he and his family were living in the Oakland section of Pittsburgh, his home for about 10 years. They relocated to Fort Sill, Okla., in April.

Shipped to Iraq only three weeks ago, Mr. Navea was a tank operator and truck driver. His superiors said he handled the bulky vehicles as though they were Cadillacs.

Mr. Navea enlisted as a teenager when the first war with Iraq was waged. After three years, he returned to civilian life, though he maintained a military connection by serving in the Pennsylvania National Guard after settling in Pittsburgh.

To make his living, he worked at a Wal-Mart store and then at UPMC. The hospital staff said his job was in customer billing.

Mr. Navea's mother said he also had been a nurse's assistant until his helpful nature led to a serious injury. She said he dislocated a shoulder while helping a patient out of bed.

An only child, Mr. Navea was born in 1968 in Lansing, Mich. He attended elementary and high school in Caracas, Venezuela, his parents' hometown.

As a teenager, he returned to the United States and was inspired to join the Army. His mother said he saw military service as a way to help other people and his country.

When a second war with Iraq seemed likely last winter, he re-enlisted. He did so knowing that he probably would be separated from his wife, Marina, and his sons, ages 11, 5 and 3.

Mr. Navea's body has not yet been returned to the United States. He probably will be buried in South Florida, where his mother lives. His wife and sons also plan to move there from Oklahoma.

Mr. Navea had no other immediate family.

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