Army Spc. Segun Frederick Akintade, 34, of Brooklyn, New York died October 28, 2004 in Abd Allah, Iraq, when his unit was attacked by enemy forces using an improvised explosive device and small arms fire.
When Spc. Segun Frederick Akintade came home for a two-week furlough, he asked his superiors for two more weeks so he could get married. The Army said no.
So the native of Lagos, Nigeria, returned to Iraq with the hope of a future marriage with his girlfriend, Leah Ndirangu, and a safe return to his adopted home of Brooklyn.
Last week time ran out for Akintade, 34, who was killed in an ambush in Iraq.
Akintade's unit, the 2nd Battalion, 108th Infantry Regiment based in Utica, was attacked by enemy forces using an improvised explosive and small arms fire, according to the Defense Department.
"He begged for an extension. He didn't want to go back," Lawrence Koleosko, who was Akintade's only relative in the United States, said as he stood in front of a makeshift memorial he set up in Akintade's Flatbush building. "He just wanted to marry this lady."
Two photographs of Akintade, one in his Army greens, hung on the lobby wall above six flickering votive candles and two floral arrangements.
Tuesday the girlfriend still didn't know about his death.
"We don't know how we're going to break the news to her," Koleosko said.
Akintade emigrated from Lagos, Nigeria seven years ago after his father died. His mission was to send money back home for his mother, two brothers and two sisters, Koleosko said.
Working at night and going to school in the day, he earned an associates degree in computer technology from New York Technical College before joining the National Guard.
Akintade joined the National Guard to pay for college, but never imagined he would go abroad, Koleosko said, adding that his cousin voiced reservations about the war before returning two months ago.
"He said a lot of innocent people were dying there," he said. Still, Akintade was resolute about serving, he said. "He just felt, 'If I am in it, I am in it,'" Koleosko said.
Neighbors in Akintade's building near Prospect Park remembered him as a quiet man who gave young people advice. One neighbor, Andrew Smith, 30, remembered Akintade remaining in front of their building until late into the night to chat with neighbors during the 2003 blackout.
"He said America was good to him," said Smith, who placed flowers at the memorial. "He said he loved America and would love to be a citizen one day." In the spring of 2003, "Freddie" realized that dream by becoming an American citizen.
Another neighbor, Loretta Boglo, 23, said she and Akintade exchanged emails while he was in Iraq. "He was looking forward to coming back home," she said.
Koleosko said he spoke to Akintade's mother Tuesday.
"She didn't know what to do," he said. "We don't know what's going to become of her. That's the breadwinner of the family. He was taking care of everyone of them. Now he's no more."
He was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 108th Infantry Regiment, New York, New York.
For a proud soldier like Segun Frederick Akintade, there was only one way to say goodbye to his neighbors. He walked door-to-door in full dress uniform to let them know he was shipping out. "He was scared but he wouldn't show it," said Jose Reyes, 25, a friend. "He said he'd be back." Akintade, 34, of New York, died Oct. 28 in a roadside bomb attack near Abd Allah.
When Spc. Segun Frederick Akintade came home for a two-week furlough, he asked his superiors for two more weeks so he could get married. The Army said no.
So the native of Lagos, Nigeria, returned to Iraq with the hope of a future marriage with his girlfriend, Leah Ndirangu, and a safe return to his adopted home of Brooklyn.
Last week time ran out for Akintade, 34, who was killed in an ambush in Iraq.
Akintade's unit, the 2nd Battalion, 108th Infantry Regiment based in Utica, was attacked by enemy forces using an improvised explosive and small arms fire, according to the Defense Department.
"He begged for an extension. He didn't want to go back," Lawrence Koleosko, who was Akintade's only relative in the United States, said as he stood in front of a makeshift memorial he set up in Akintade's Flatbush building. "He just wanted to marry this lady."
Two photographs of Akintade, one in his Army greens, hung on the lobby wall above six flickering votive candles and two floral arrangements.
Tuesday the girlfriend still didn't know about his death.
"We don't know how we're going to break the news to her," Koleosko said.
Akintade emigrated from Lagos, Nigeria seven years ago after his father died. His mission was to send money back home for his mother, two brothers and two sisters, Koleosko said.
Working at night and going to school in the day, he earned an associates degree in computer technology from New York Technical College before joining the National Guard.
Akintade joined the National Guard to pay for college, but never imagined he would go abroad, Koleosko said, adding that his cousin voiced reservations about the war before returning two months ago.
"He said a lot of innocent people were dying there," he said. Still, Akintade was resolute about serving, he said. "He just felt, 'If I am in it, I am in it,'" Koleosko said.
Neighbors in Akintade's building near Prospect Park remembered him as a quiet man who gave young people advice. One neighbor, Andrew Smith, 30, remembered Akintade remaining in front of their building until late into the night to chat with neighbors during the 2003 blackout.
"He said America was good to him," said Smith, who placed flowers at the memorial. "He said he loved America and would love to be a citizen one day." In the spring of 2003, "Freddie" realized that dream by becoming an American citizen.
Another neighbor, Loretta Boglo, 23, said she and Akintade exchanged emails while he was in Iraq. "He was looking forward to coming back home," she said.
Koleosko said he spoke to Akintade's mother Tuesday.
"She didn't know what to do," he said. "We don't know what's going to become of her. That's the breadwinner of the family. He was taking care of everyone of them. Now he's no more."
He was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 108th Infantry Regiment, New York, New York.
For a proud soldier like Segun Frederick Akintade, there was only one way to say goodbye to his neighbors. He walked door-to-door in full dress uniform to let them know he was shipping out. "He was scared but he wouldn't show it," said Jose Reyes, 25, a friend. "He said he'd be back." Akintade, 34, of New York, died Oct. 28 in a roadside bomb attack near Abd Allah.
Army Spc. Segun Frederick Akintade, 34, of Brooklyn, New York died October 28, 2004 in Abd Allah, Iraq, when his unit was attacked by enemy forces using an improvised explosive device and small arms fire.
When Spc. Segun Frederick Akintade came home for a two-week furlough, he asked his superiors for two more weeks so he could get married. The Army said no.
So the native of Lagos, Nigeria, returned to Iraq with the hope of a future marriage with his girlfriend, Leah Ndirangu, and a safe return to his adopted home of Brooklyn.
Last week time ran out for Akintade, 34, who was killed in an ambush in Iraq.
Akintade's unit, the 2nd Battalion, 108th Infantry Regiment based in Utica, was attacked by enemy forces using an improvised explosive and small arms fire, according to the Defense Department.
"He begged for an extension. He didn't want to go back," Lawrence Koleosko, who was Akintade's only relative in the United States, said as he stood in front of a makeshift memorial he set up in Akintade's Flatbush building. "He just wanted to marry this lady."
Two photographs of Akintade, one in his Army greens, hung on the lobby wall above six flickering votive candles and two floral arrangements.
Tuesday the girlfriend still didn't know about his death.
"We don't know how we're going to break the news to her," Koleosko said.
Akintade emigrated from Lagos, Nigeria seven years ago after his father died. His mission was to send money back home for his mother, two brothers and two sisters, Koleosko said.
Working at night and going to school in the day, he earned an associates degree in computer technology from New York Technical College before joining the National Guard.
Akintade joined the National Guard to pay for college, but never imagined he would go abroad, Koleosko said, adding that his cousin voiced reservations about the war before returning two months ago.
"He said a lot of innocent people were dying there," he said. Still, Akintade was resolute about serving, he said. "He just felt, 'If I am in it, I am in it,'" Koleosko said.
Neighbors in Akintade's building near Prospect Park remembered him as a quiet man who gave young people advice. One neighbor, Andrew Smith, 30, remembered Akintade remaining in front of their building until late into the night to chat with neighbors during the 2003 blackout.
"He said America was good to him," said Smith, who placed flowers at the memorial. "He said he loved America and would love to be a citizen one day." In the spring of 2003, "Freddie" realized that dream by becoming an American citizen.
Another neighbor, Loretta Boglo, 23, said she and Akintade exchanged emails while he was in Iraq. "He was looking forward to coming back home," she said.
Koleosko said he spoke to Akintade's mother Tuesday.
"She didn't know what to do," he said. "We don't know what's going to become of her. That's the breadwinner of the family. He was taking care of everyone of them. Now he's no more."
He was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 108th Infantry Regiment, New York, New York.
For a proud soldier like Segun Frederick Akintade, there was only one way to say goodbye to his neighbors. He walked door-to-door in full dress uniform to let them know he was shipping out. "He was scared but he wouldn't show it," said Jose Reyes, 25, a friend. "He said he'd be back." Akintade, 34, of New York, died Oct. 28 in a roadside bomb attack near Abd Allah.
When Spc. Segun Frederick Akintade came home for a two-week furlough, he asked his superiors for two more weeks so he could get married. The Army said no.
So the native of Lagos, Nigeria, returned to Iraq with the hope of a future marriage with his girlfriend, Leah Ndirangu, and a safe return to his adopted home of Brooklyn.
Last week time ran out for Akintade, 34, who was killed in an ambush in Iraq.
Akintade's unit, the 2nd Battalion, 108th Infantry Regiment based in Utica, was attacked by enemy forces using an improvised explosive and small arms fire, according to the Defense Department.
"He begged for an extension. He didn't want to go back," Lawrence Koleosko, who was Akintade's only relative in the United States, said as he stood in front of a makeshift memorial he set up in Akintade's Flatbush building. "He just wanted to marry this lady."
Two photographs of Akintade, one in his Army greens, hung on the lobby wall above six flickering votive candles and two floral arrangements.
Tuesday the girlfriend still didn't know about his death.
"We don't know how we're going to break the news to her," Koleosko said.
Akintade emigrated from Lagos, Nigeria seven years ago after his father died. His mission was to send money back home for his mother, two brothers and two sisters, Koleosko said.
Working at night and going to school in the day, he earned an associates degree in computer technology from New York Technical College before joining the National Guard.
Akintade joined the National Guard to pay for college, but never imagined he would go abroad, Koleosko said, adding that his cousin voiced reservations about the war before returning two months ago.
"He said a lot of innocent people were dying there," he said. Still, Akintade was resolute about serving, he said. "He just felt, 'If I am in it, I am in it,'" Koleosko said.
Neighbors in Akintade's building near Prospect Park remembered him as a quiet man who gave young people advice. One neighbor, Andrew Smith, 30, remembered Akintade remaining in front of their building until late into the night to chat with neighbors during the 2003 blackout.
"He said America was good to him," said Smith, who placed flowers at the memorial. "He said he loved America and would love to be a citizen one day." In the spring of 2003, "Freddie" realized that dream by becoming an American citizen.
Another neighbor, Loretta Boglo, 23, said she and Akintade exchanged emails while he was in Iraq. "He was looking forward to coming back home," she said.
Koleosko said he spoke to Akintade's mother Tuesday.
"She didn't know what to do," he said. "We don't know what's going to become of her. That's the breadwinner of the family. He was taking care of everyone of them. Now he's no more."
He was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 108th Infantry Regiment, New York, New York.
For a proud soldier like Segun Frederick Akintade, there was only one way to say goodbye to his neighbors. He walked door-to-door in full dress uniform to let them know he was shipping out. "He was scared but he wouldn't show it," said Jose Reyes, 25, a friend. "He said he'd be back." Akintade, 34, of New York, died Oct. 28 in a roadside bomb attack near Abd Allah.
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