Honoree: Jesse Castro

Hometown: Chalan Pago, Guam
Branch of Service: Army
Rank: Sergeant
Player: Zac Jones
Sergeant Jesse “J.J.” Castro, 22, of Chalan Pago, Guam, was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 17th Infantry, 3rd Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division at Schofield Barracks, Hawaii. He died November 6, 2006, when an improvised explosive device detonated while they were conducting mountain patrol near Kirkuk, Iraq.
A 2003 graduate of Evangelical Christian Academy, SGT Castro enlisted in the Army later that year. His passion for mixed martial arts was remarkable and only equaled by his skill and success in the sport, all of which will forever be remembered by his fellow fighters.
During his funeral, his widow stood to read a letter he had written to his mother while on his first tour of duty to Iraq. SGT Castro wrote of an evening full of mortar attacks, where he helped move six children to safety. He described picking up a sleeping 2-year-old girl. "She woke up, looked at me, hugged me and went right back to sleep," she read. "At that point I realized there's a reason for me being here. My heart crumbled for those little ones that I can't do anything for."
SGT Castro is survived by his wife, Theresa and their son, Jesse, Jr.