Jason Morales remembered

Relatives remembered Tuesday the soldier who died serving his country in Iraq as a vibrant, popular young man who wanted to serve his family as well.

Defense officials announced April 18 that Army Pfc. Jason Morales, 20, died that day of "injuries suffered when his unit came in contact with enemy forces using small arms fire" in Baghdad.

He was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 28th Infantry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division, hailing from Fort Riley, Kan.

Cynthia Molina, Jason's aunt, said he grew up in Montebello, then moved to La Puente with his mother, Laura Molina, and grandmother, Evangelina Navarrette.

He was the fourth La Puente resident to die in the Iraq War.

She described him as a "loving and caring guy," an avid skateboarder who played the guitar, loved Metallica music and baseball.

The Montebello High School graduate joined the Army in 2006 to serve his country and help support his family, she said.

Molina added that Morales wanted to be a career soldier, like his cousin and her son, Marc Molina, 20.

"He wanted to make a life for himself," she said. "He was such an awesome kid. We lost a very good person in our life."

Molina said Jason's younger siblings and cousins looked up to the young soldier as a hero.

She said Jason was the only one who could bring a quiet 12-year-old cousin out of her shell and get her talking.

"It's hard to believe something like this could happen to someone so good," she said.

Morales is survived by his mother, his father Mike, and three siblings, Steven, Adrian and Trisha Morales.

From the Whittier Daily News

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Jason M. Morales dies of 'injuries sustained when his unit came in contact with enemy forces using small arms fire'