Tung Nguyen laid to rest

TRACY — Sgt. 1st Class Tung Nguyen was proud of the career he built in the Army, his wife said.

Marcia Nguyen of Raeford, N.C., issued a statement through the military, saying she was "touched" by the amount of concern and interest taken in her husband's life.

"Tung died doing a job he believed in and his commitment was unwavering," Marcia Nguyen said. "He was my best friend and I loved him deeply."

Nguyen is also survived by his parents, Nguyen Van Tuan and Phan Cong Duc, of Alameda.

Services for Nguyen are being held today at the John F. Kennedy Memorial Chapel in Fort Bragg, N.C.

In honor of Nguyen, flags at the state's Capitol building are being flown at half-staff.

Gov. Schwarzenegger said Nguyen was "committed to protecting our country and our freedoms.

"Maria and I offer our condolences to Tung's family as they endure this extraordinary loss," Schwarzenegger said in a prepared statement. "His courageous example will live on in our hearts."

He was the sixth soldier with ties to Tracy to die since the second war in Iraq began in 2003. He died from a gunshot wound after his Special Forces detachment engaged enemy forces in small arms combat in Baghdad on Nov. 14, according to the Department of Defense.

He was evacuated and pronounced dead at a combat support hospital in Baghdad.

Initial reports of an Army investigations show Nguyen's wounds may have been a result of friendly fire, an Army Special Operations Command spokesman said.

He was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 3rd Special Forces Group (Airborne), stationed at Fort Bragg, N.C. It was his first tour in Iraq,

Nguyen is the 14th serviceman from San Joaquin County to have been killed, including six from Stockton and one each from Lathrop and Lodi.

From IBA

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