Army Corporal Joseph Hernandez

Army Corporal Joseph Michael Hernandez, 24, of Hammond, Indiana, was assigned to Headquarters Platoon, Team Cherokee, 1st Battalion, 4th Infantry Regiment, based in Hohenfels, Germany. CPL Hernandez died on January 9, 2009, in Jaldak, Zabul Province, Afghanistan, when an improvised explosive device detonated near his Humvee.

CPL Hernandez graduated from Mount Carmel High School in Chicago and attended Holy Cross College before studying mechanical engineering and biology at Purdue University. He joined the Army in 2005, explaining that military service was something he felt duty-bound to do. He served for a time with the 3rd U.S. Infantry Regiment, known as the Old Guard, in the Washington, D.C. He was later assigned to the Hohenfels, Germany, where the unit helped train American and allied forces preparing for combat deployments.

CPL Hernandez was remembered as a devoted family man and a loyal friend. He loved animals – he once jumped into a frozen lake to rescue a dog. His other interests included boxing, vintage automobiles, playing the piano and building model airplanes with his sons.

CPL Hernandez was survived by his wife and two sons.