Final rest for Marine (Eric Valdepenas)

PROVIDENCE -- As the first peal of the bell faded away, the rear door of the black hearse parked in front of the Cathedral of SS. Peter and Paul was opened. The flag-draped coffin of Marine Lance Cpl. Eric P. Valdepeñas lay inside.

The cathedral's bell rang again and again in mournful rhythm, breaking the silence underneath the charcoal sky.

Six Marines in blue dress uniforms stepped up to the casket that held their comrade who died in Iraq 11 days ago.

A line of police officers and state troopers stood at attention facing the cathedral. In the plaza below, a dozen motorcyclists from the Patriot Guard Riders, clad in denim and leather, held up American flags in honor of Valdepeñas.

His parents, two brothers and five sisters followed as the Marines slid the coffin out of the hearse and slowly carried it into the towering cathedral, past the two rows of lacrosse players from Bishop Hendricken High School who waited on either side of the entrance wearing varsity jackets and pressed khakis.

Valdepeñas graduated from the all-boys Catholic school in Warwick three years ago. He was an honors student and a captain of the Hawks team that won a state lacrosse championship in 2002.

After graduation, he enrolled at the University of Massachusetts-Amherst to study engineering. In December, in the middle of his sophomore year, he was forced to put his studies on hold when his reserve unit was called to active duty.
Read the rest at the Providence Journal

Fallen Marine's Family Speaks Out


Nora Valdepeñas (center) and other family members talked about their brother and son, Eric P. Valdepeñas, a Marine reservist who was killed in action in Iraq. The 21-year-old, who put off his studies at UMass-Amherst when his unit was called up, was due to come home in October.

(CBS4) The family of Eric Valdepenas, a 21-year-old marine from Seekonk who was killed while on patrol in Fallujah, spoke out Wednesday to tell New Englanders about his bravery.

Valdepenas was scheduled to return home from Iraq in October, but on Monday he was one of three servicemen who were killed when a road-side bomb exploded.

Valdepenas was the youngest of eight children.

“He was supposed to come home in a month,” said Dr. Jesus Bernal Valdepenas, Eric’s father.

“The military is oppressive and unjust,” said Edna Valdepenas, Eric’s sister. “His death tears the fabric of my being.”

Read the rest at WCBS 4

Related Link:
Hendricken grad killed in Iraq (Eric Valdepenas)

Note: Due to problems with blogger we were unable to post news of the fallen for the last 10 days. This post is part of the update from that period.