Army Staff Sergeant Arthur Mastrapa

Army Staff Sergeant Arthur S. Mastrapa, 35, of Apopka, Fla. was assigned to the 351 Military Police Company, 95th Military Police Battalion, 16th Military Police Brigade, Army Reserve, Ocala, Fla. He was killed June 16, 2004, when enemy indirect fire struck the post-exchange area at Camp Anaconda in Balad, Iraq.

SSGT Mastrapa joined the Army shortly after graduating from Forest Lake Academy and served on active duty as a military policeman in Alabama and Germany. After the service, he worked as a postal carrier in Altamonte Springs and joined the Army Reserves. SSGT Mastrapa had served overseas for over a year and was scheduled to return to the U.S. the following day. He had kept his return a secret, hoping to surprise his family. He was posthumously awarded the Bronze Star Medal and Purple Heart.

His father remembered him as “a joy to have around—a very good, happy person.” “He liked being in the military,” said his brother, Mark. “He really loved serving his country.”

SSGT Mastrapa was survived by his wife, Jennifer, a daughter and a son.