Sgt. Jose Rodriguez, 22, fulfilled a life-long dream by serving in the Army. His mother told Fresno TV station KFSN that he enlisted shortly after graduating from Gustine High School.
According to the Department of Defense, Rodriguez was killed by enemy small arms fire in Kandahar province on June 19. Rodriguez was assigned to the 4th Battalion, 23rd Infantry Regiment, 2nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division at Joint Base Lewis-McChord in Washington state.
He leaves behind a wife and one-year-old son, Octavian.
