Fallen Soldier: Adan Gonzales, Jr.

Sergeant Adan Gonzales, Jr., 28, of Bakersfield, Calif., was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Pendleton, Calif., and served during Operation Enduring Freedom. On August 7, 2011, he was killed while conducting operations in Helmand province, Afghanistan.

Sgt. Gonzales graduated from Ridgeview High School, where he was on the wrestling team. He was an altar boy at Our Lady of Guadalupe Catholic Church and helped to organize youth retreats for the parish. He worked as a cabinetmaker and helped his father with his landscaping business during the summer.

Sgt. Gonzales excelled during his five years in the Marine Corps, serving a tour of duty in Iraq and qualifying for the Marine Corps’ elite sniper school.

“Adan was kind, emotional, compassionate, strong-willed, hard-working, quick to laugh, and looked for joy in life,” his wife said.

One of Sgt. Gonzales’ daughters is a Folds of Honor Scholarship recipient.