Private Jonathan I. Falaniko, 20, of Pago Pago, American Samoa, was killed near a police station in downtown Baghdad when a vehicle containing an explosive device detonated. Falaniko was assigned to Company A, 70th Engineer Battalion, 3rd Brigade, 1st Armored Division. He joined the Army in May and has been stationed at Fort Riley since August. Falaniko was assigned to the unit as an engineer bridge crewman and deployed to Iraq last month.
Courtesy of the Washington Post
A Family Affair Ends at Arlington
Career Army Man Helps Bury a Son Who Joined Him to Serve in Iraq
Saturday, November 8, 2003
Jonathan Falaniko wanted to be just like his dad -- right down to the green Army uniform his father has worn for 27 years. So it was with great pride that Ioakimo Falaniko, now a Command Sergeant Major, stood beside his son in February as the 20-year-old was sworn in. Seven months later, the two were reunited, this time in Iraq. Though family members rarely serve in the same theater of operations in times of combat, according to military officials, Jonathan's battalion was assigned to his father's division in Baghdad. "I was so happy when I found out," Ioakimo Falaniko, 49, said yesterday. "He was coming to me! He said, 'Dad, I'll do my best not to disappoint you.'"
The conversation would be one of their last.
On October 27, 2003, the young Private was killed by a rocket-propelled grenade in the Iraqi capital. His platoon had just cleared away two explosive devices found on the side of the road near the al Khadra police station when it came under attack, Ioakimo Falaniko said. It was not long before he got the devastating news from his commander.
"I spent 20 minutes sitting with Jonathan's body," Falaniko said yesterday after a memorial service at Arlington National Cemetery. "He understood selfless service to the nation. I have no regrets about losing my son. He is my hero. . . If not him, it would have been someone else."
Jonathan Falaniko, whose home was in American Samoa, became the 35th soldier interred at Arlington since the start of Operation Iraqi Freedom this year. The dozens of family members who attended yesterday's service wept softly as taps sounded across the hallowed hillsides. Also there as a show of support was a host of Army officials, many of whom said they were particularly touched and saddened by the sergeant major's loss.
"It was very unusual for them to be in the same unit," said Col. Michael Walsh, chief of staff for the U.S. Army Corp of Engineers. "It's very unusual, but there's no rule against it." Command Sergeant Major Michael Balch knew Jonathan as a child, having lived with his father in the mid-1980s at Fort Leonard Wood in Missouri. "He served for 27 years in the Army, giving it everything he had," Balch said. "After less than 30 days in Iraq, his son is killed in combat. Talk about character of family and commitment to serve your country. . . . Jonathan wanted to be just like his father." Relatives described the young soldier as a respectful, "likable kid" who watched out for his family, whether that meant sending money home to help his mother or tending to his older brother, Niko, after he was injured in a car accident. After enlisting, Jonathan received training as a combat engineer at Fort Leonard Wood. In August, he was posted to Fort Riley, Kansas, for deployment training.
"I met him when he first landed in Iraq," Ioakimo Falaniko said yesterday, recalling how the two hugged one another. "I said, 'Son, I am very proud of you. "
On October 11, 2003, the two met again to place a video call home. Jonathan told his mother not to worry. When his sister asked whether he had killed anyone, he told her, "No, but when the time comes, I will. I'm focused. I know what I'm doing," their father recalled. Ioakimo Falaniko said he and his son were happy to be serving together but followed military protocol. Rather than addressing him as "father," Jonathan called him "sergeant major," Falaniko recalled with a smile. The two made plans to meet next week to go Christmas shopping and take pictures at some of Baghdad's historical sites. Instead, the father escorted his son's body back to the United States a few days ago. Yesterday, sharing lunch with family and friends after the memorial service, Falaniko said his son knew the risks of his job but embraced it nonetheless. "He loved the Army," the older man said. Falaniko said he will attend to family matters over the next few days. Then it's back to Iraq, where he has another job to do. "I will finish this fight," he vowed.
There is perhaps no prouder moment for a father, then when his son follows him into the family business. Certainly there is no sadder task for a father than to bury his son.
Command Sergeant Major Ioakimo Falaniko, 49, Engineering Brigade, 1st Armored Division, experienced both of these emotions in the past few months. The senior noncommissioned officer was elated when his son Jonathan, 20, joined the Army in May and chose the same job as his dad, following the proud warrior tradition of his Samoan ancestors. Pvt. Jonathan Falaniko and his squad had just removed two improvised explosive devices from the side of the road near the Baghdad police station October 27, 2003, when a rocket propelled grenade struck their vehicle. The younger Falaniko was at the point of impact. The Command Sergeant Major of the unit, his father, received an urgent message his son's unit was hit and five soldiers were wounded. Jonathan had only been in Iraq for 30 days.
"I went to the aid station," the grieving father said after the funeral Friday morning. "I saw him in a body bag. I told everybody to get out of the room. I shed my tears. I talked to him for 20 to 25 minutes." The father accompanied his son's body home. "The medic ignored her own wound and tried to treat my son. He was just a typical Soldier. If not him, someone else." The son asked his father to accompany him to his enlistment ceremony at the Seattle recruiting command. "That was one proud moment," Falaniko said. "When he swore in, I reaffirmed my oath. He loved the Army. He said, 'I will do my best not to disappoint you.' He was aware of the danger. I talked to him. The enemy is watching us everyday. It could have been me." Some 20 to 25 command sergeants major past and present, and a handful of generals showed up at Fort Myer's Memorial Chapel for the Catholic service. A little known, but exceedingly tough texture of the American fabric was on display. Broad, muscular, Samoan men, some in native dress, Samoan women with tropical white flowers in their hair and a choir brought a touch of the South Pacific to the service. The father read letters from his son to him and his mother and siblings. The letters depicted the son as an effervescent young man who loved his family deeply and immensely enjoyed being a soldier. American Samoa's congressman, Eni F.H. Faleomovaega delivered a brief speech in Samoan before telling of how it is customary to make speeches in their culture at funerals, "So Jonathan Falaniko will never be forgotten. Jonathan was quite aware of being in harm's way. This man, Jonathan Falaniko lived and died honorably as a Samoan warrior." The senior Falaniko uttered a defiant note after the funeral. "As soon as I finish taking care of the family, I'm going back by the end of the month," he said. "I will finish the fight, no regret. He is my hero."
Congressman Faleomavaega today expressed his gratitude and sincere appreciation for the 1st Armored Division's decision to honor Private Jonathan Falaniko, a son of American Samoa who was killed in Baghdad, Iraq by naming a house on the military's Freedom Rest recreation compound as Pvt. Falaniko Inn.
FALANIKO, JONATHAN OAKIMO
PVT US ARMY
DATE OF BIRTH: 01/30/1983
DATE OF DEATH: 10/27/2003
BURIED AT: SECTION 60 SITE 8132
ARLINGTON NATIONAL CEMETERY
Courtesy of the Washington Post
A Family Affair Ends at Arlington
Career Army Man Helps Bury a Son Who Joined Him to Serve in Iraq
Saturday, November 8, 2003
Jonathan Falaniko wanted to be just like his dad -- right down to the green Army uniform his father has worn for 27 years. So it was with great pride that Ioakimo Falaniko, now a Command Sergeant Major, stood beside his son in February as the 20-year-old was sworn in. Seven months later, the two were reunited, this time in Iraq. Though family members rarely serve in the same theater of operations in times of combat, according to military officials, Jonathan's battalion was assigned to his father's division in Baghdad. "I was so happy when I found out," Ioakimo Falaniko, 49, said yesterday. "He was coming to me! He said, 'Dad, I'll do my best not to disappoint you.'"
The conversation would be one of their last.
On October 27, 2003, the young Private was killed by a rocket-propelled grenade in the Iraqi capital. His platoon had just cleared away two explosive devices found on the side of the road near the al Khadra police station when it came under attack, Ioakimo Falaniko said. It was not long before he got the devastating news from his commander.
"I spent 20 minutes sitting with Jonathan's body," Falaniko said yesterday after a memorial service at Arlington National Cemetery. "He understood selfless service to the nation. I have no regrets about losing my son. He is my hero. . . If not him, it would have been someone else."
Jonathan Falaniko, whose home was in American Samoa, became the 35th soldier interred at Arlington since the start of Operation Iraqi Freedom this year. The dozens of family members who attended yesterday's service wept softly as taps sounded across the hallowed hillsides. Also there as a show of support was a host of Army officials, many of whom said they were particularly touched and saddened by the sergeant major's loss.
"It was very unusual for them to be in the same unit," said Col. Michael Walsh, chief of staff for the U.S. Army Corp of Engineers. "It's very unusual, but there's no rule against it." Command Sergeant Major Michael Balch knew Jonathan as a child, having lived with his father in the mid-1980s at Fort Leonard Wood in Missouri. "He served for 27 years in the Army, giving it everything he had," Balch said. "After less than 30 days in Iraq, his son is killed in combat. Talk about character of family and commitment to serve your country. . . . Jonathan wanted to be just like his father." Relatives described the young soldier as a respectful, "likable kid" who watched out for his family, whether that meant sending money home to help his mother or tending to his older brother, Niko, after he was injured in a car accident. After enlisting, Jonathan received training as a combat engineer at Fort Leonard Wood. In August, he was posted to Fort Riley, Kansas, for deployment training.
"I met him when he first landed in Iraq," Ioakimo Falaniko said yesterday, recalling how the two hugged one another. "I said, 'Son, I am very proud of you. "
On October 11, 2003, the two met again to place a video call home. Jonathan told his mother not to worry. When his sister asked whether he had killed anyone, he told her, "No, but when the time comes, I will. I'm focused. I know what I'm doing," their father recalled. Ioakimo Falaniko said he and his son were happy to be serving together but followed military protocol. Rather than addressing him as "father," Jonathan called him "sergeant major," Falaniko recalled with a smile. The two made plans to meet next week to go Christmas shopping and take pictures at some of Baghdad's historical sites. Instead, the father escorted his son's body back to the United States a few days ago. Yesterday, sharing lunch with family and friends after the memorial service, Falaniko said his son knew the risks of his job but embraced it nonetheless. "He loved the Army," the older man said. Falaniko said he will attend to family matters over the next few days. Then it's back to Iraq, where he has another job to do. "I will finish this fight," he vowed.
There is perhaps no prouder moment for a father, then when his son follows him into the family business. Certainly there is no sadder task for a father than to bury his son.
Command Sergeant Major Ioakimo Falaniko, 49, Engineering Brigade, 1st Armored Division, experienced both of these emotions in the past few months. The senior noncommissioned officer was elated when his son Jonathan, 20, joined the Army in May and chose the same job as his dad, following the proud warrior tradition of his Samoan ancestors. Pvt. Jonathan Falaniko and his squad had just removed two improvised explosive devices from the side of the road near the Baghdad police station October 27, 2003, when a rocket propelled grenade struck their vehicle. The younger Falaniko was at the point of impact. The Command Sergeant Major of the unit, his father, received an urgent message his son's unit was hit and five soldiers were wounded. Jonathan had only been in Iraq for 30 days.
"I went to the aid station," the grieving father said after the funeral Friday morning. "I saw him in a body bag. I told everybody to get out of the room. I shed my tears. I talked to him for 20 to 25 minutes." The father accompanied his son's body home. "The medic ignored her own wound and tried to treat my son. He was just a typical Soldier. If not him, someone else." The son asked his father to accompany him to his enlistment ceremony at the Seattle recruiting command. "That was one proud moment," Falaniko said. "When he swore in, I reaffirmed my oath. He loved the Army. He said, 'I will do my best not to disappoint you.' He was aware of the danger. I talked to him. The enemy is watching us everyday. It could have been me." Some 20 to 25 command sergeants major past and present, and a handful of generals showed up at Fort Myer's Memorial Chapel for the Catholic service. A little known, but exceedingly tough texture of the American fabric was on display. Broad, muscular, Samoan men, some in native dress, Samoan women with tropical white flowers in their hair and a choir brought a touch of the South Pacific to the service. The father read letters from his son to him and his mother and siblings. The letters depicted the son as an effervescent young man who loved his family deeply and immensely enjoyed being a soldier. American Samoa's congressman, Eni F.H. Faleomovaega delivered a brief speech in Samoan before telling of how it is customary to make speeches in their culture at funerals, "So Jonathan Falaniko will never be forgotten. Jonathan was quite aware of being in harm's way. This man, Jonathan Falaniko lived and died honorably as a Samoan warrior." The senior Falaniko uttered a defiant note after the funeral. "As soon as I finish taking care of the family, I'm going back by the end of the month," he said. "I will finish the fight, no regret. He is my hero."
Congressman Faleomavaega today expressed his gratitude and sincere appreciation for the 1st Armored Division's decision to honor Private Jonathan Falaniko, a son of American Samoa who was killed in Baghdad, Iraq by naming a house on the military's Freedom Rest recreation compound as Pvt. Falaniko Inn.
FALANIKO, JONATHAN OAKIMO
PVT US ARMY
DATE OF BIRTH: 01/30/1983
DATE OF DEATH: 10/27/2003
BURIED AT: SECTION 60 SITE 8132
ARLINGTON NATIONAL CEMETERY
Private Jonathan I. Falaniko, 20, of Pago Pago, American Samoa, was killed near a police station in downtown Baghdad when a vehicle containing an explosive device detonated. Falaniko was assigned to Company A, 70th Engineer Battalion, 3rd Brigade, 1st Armored Division. He joined the Army in May and has been stationed at Fort Riley since August. Falaniko was assigned to the unit as an engineer bridge crewman and deployed to Iraq last month.
Courtesy of the Washington Post
A Family Affair Ends at Arlington
Career Army Man Helps Bury a Son Who Joined Him to Serve in Iraq
Saturday, November 8, 2003
Jonathan Falaniko wanted to be just like his dad -- right down to the green Army uniform his father has worn for 27 years. So it was with great pride that Ioakimo Falaniko, now a Command Sergeant Major, stood beside his son in February as the 20-year-old was sworn in. Seven months later, the two were reunited, this time in Iraq. Though family members rarely serve in the same theater of operations in times of combat, according to military officials, Jonathan's battalion was assigned to his father's division in Baghdad. "I was so happy when I found out," Ioakimo Falaniko, 49, said yesterday. "He was coming to me! He said, 'Dad, I'll do my best not to disappoint you.'"
The conversation would be one of their last.
On October 27, 2003, the young Private was killed by a rocket-propelled grenade in the Iraqi capital. His platoon had just cleared away two explosive devices found on the side of the road near the al Khadra police station when it came under attack, Ioakimo Falaniko said. It was not long before he got the devastating news from his commander.
"I spent 20 minutes sitting with Jonathan's body," Falaniko said yesterday after a memorial service at Arlington National Cemetery. "He understood selfless service to the nation. I have no regrets about losing my son. He is my hero. . . If not him, it would have been someone else."
Jonathan Falaniko, whose home was in American Samoa, became the 35th soldier interred at Arlington since the start of Operation Iraqi Freedom this year. The dozens of family members who attended yesterday's service wept softly as taps sounded across the hallowed hillsides. Also there as a show of support was a host of Army officials, many of whom said they were particularly touched and saddened by the sergeant major's loss.
"It was very unusual for them to be in the same unit," said Col. Michael Walsh, chief of staff for the U.S. Army Corp of Engineers. "It's very unusual, but there's no rule against it." Command Sergeant Major Michael Balch knew Jonathan as a child, having lived with his father in the mid-1980s at Fort Leonard Wood in Missouri. "He served for 27 years in the Army, giving it everything he had," Balch said. "After less than 30 days in Iraq, his son is killed in combat. Talk about character of family and commitment to serve your country. . . . Jonathan wanted to be just like his father." Relatives described the young soldier as a respectful, "likable kid" who watched out for his family, whether that meant sending money home to help his mother or tending to his older brother, Niko, after he was injured in a car accident. After enlisting, Jonathan received training as a combat engineer at Fort Leonard Wood. In August, he was posted to Fort Riley, Kansas, for deployment training.
"I met him when he first landed in Iraq," Ioakimo Falaniko said yesterday, recalling how the two hugged one another. "I said, 'Son, I am very proud of you. "
On October 11, 2003, the two met again to place a video call home. Jonathan told his mother not to worry. When his sister asked whether he had killed anyone, he told her, "No, but when the time comes, I will. I'm focused. I know what I'm doing," their father recalled. Ioakimo Falaniko said he and his son were happy to be serving together but followed military protocol. Rather than addressing him as "father," Jonathan called him "sergeant major," Falaniko recalled with a smile. The two made plans to meet next week to go Christmas shopping and take pictures at some of Baghdad's historical sites. Instead, the father escorted his son's body back to the United States a few days ago. Yesterday, sharing lunch with family and friends after the memorial service, Falaniko said his son knew the risks of his job but embraced it nonetheless. "He loved the Army," the older man said. Falaniko said he will attend to family matters over the next few days. Then it's back to Iraq, where he has another job to do. "I will finish this fight," he vowed.
There is perhaps no prouder moment for a father, then when his son follows him into the family business. Certainly there is no sadder task for a father than to bury his son.
Command Sergeant Major Ioakimo Falaniko, 49, Engineering Brigade, 1st Armored Division, experienced both of these emotions in the past few months. The senior noncommissioned officer was elated when his son Jonathan, 20, joined the Army in May and chose the same job as his dad, following the proud warrior tradition of his Samoan ancestors. Pvt. Jonathan Falaniko and his squad had just removed two improvised explosive devices from the side of the road near the Baghdad police station October 27, 2003, when a rocket propelled grenade struck their vehicle. The younger Falaniko was at the point of impact. The Command Sergeant Major of the unit, his father, received an urgent message his son's unit was hit and five soldiers were wounded. Jonathan had only been in Iraq for 30 days.
"I went to the aid station," the grieving father said after the funeral Friday morning. "I saw him in a body bag. I told everybody to get out of the room. I shed my tears. I talked to him for 20 to 25 minutes." The father accompanied his son's body home. "The medic ignored her own wound and tried to treat my son. He was just a typical Soldier. If not him, someone else." The son asked his father to accompany him to his enlistment ceremony at the Seattle recruiting command. "That was one proud moment," Falaniko said. "When he swore in, I reaffirmed my oath. He loved the Army. He said, 'I will do my best not to disappoint you.' He was aware of the danger. I talked to him. The enemy is watching us everyday. It could have been me." Some 20 to 25 command sergeants major past and present, and a handful of generals showed up at Fort Myer's Memorial Chapel for the Catholic service. A little known, but exceedingly tough texture of the American fabric was on display. Broad, muscular, Samoan men, some in native dress, Samoan women with tropical white flowers in their hair and a choir brought a touch of the South Pacific to the service. The father read letters from his son to him and his mother and siblings. The letters depicted the son as an effervescent young man who loved his family deeply and immensely enjoyed being a soldier. American Samoa's congressman, Eni F.H. Faleomovaega delivered a brief speech in Samoan before telling of how it is customary to make speeches in their culture at funerals, "So Jonathan Falaniko will never be forgotten. Jonathan was quite aware of being in harm's way. This man, Jonathan Falaniko lived and died honorably as a Samoan warrior." The senior Falaniko uttered a defiant note after the funeral. "As soon as I finish taking care of the family, I'm going back by the end of the month," he said. "I will finish the fight, no regret. He is my hero."
Congressman Faleomavaega today expressed his gratitude and sincere appreciation for the 1st Armored Division's decision to honor Private Jonathan Falaniko, a son of American Samoa who was killed in Baghdad, Iraq by naming a house on the military's Freedom Rest recreation compound as Pvt. Falaniko Inn.
FALANIKO, JONATHAN OAKIMO
PVT US ARMY
DATE OF BIRTH: 01/30/1983
DATE OF DEATH: 10/27/2003
BURIED AT: SECTION 60 SITE 8132
ARLINGTON NATIONAL CEMETERY
Courtesy of the Washington Post
A Family Affair Ends at Arlington
Career Army Man Helps Bury a Son Who Joined Him to Serve in Iraq
Saturday, November 8, 2003
Jonathan Falaniko wanted to be just like his dad -- right down to the green Army uniform his father has worn for 27 years. So it was with great pride that Ioakimo Falaniko, now a Command Sergeant Major, stood beside his son in February as the 20-year-old was sworn in. Seven months later, the two were reunited, this time in Iraq. Though family members rarely serve in the same theater of operations in times of combat, according to military officials, Jonathan's battalion was assigned to his father's division in Baghdad. "I was so happy when I found out," Ioakimo Falaniko, 49, said yesterday. "He was coming to me! He said, 'Dad, I'll do my best not to disappoint you.'"
The conversation would be one of their last.
On October 27, 2003, the young Private was killed by a rocket-propelled grenade in the Iraqi capital. His platoon had just cleared away two explosive devices found on the side of the road near the al Khadra police station when it came under attack, Ioakimo Falaniko said. It was not long before he got the devastating news from his commander.
"I spent 20 minutes sitting with Jonathan's body," Falaniko said yesterday after a memorial service at Arlington National Cemetery. "He understood selfless service to the nation. I have no regrets about losing my son. He is my hero. . . If not him, it would have been someone else."
Jonathan Falaniko, whose home was in American Samoa, became the 35th soldier interred at Arlington since the start of Operation Iraqi Freedom this year. The dozens of family members who attended yesterday's service wept softly as taps sounded across the hallowed hillsides. Also there as a show of support was a host of Army officials, many of whom said they were particularly touched and saddened by the sergeant major's loss.
"It was very unusual for them to be in the same unit," said Col. Michael Walsh, chief of staff for the U.S. Army Corp of Engineers. "It's very unusual, but there's no rule against it." Command Sergeant Major Michael Balch knew Jonathan as a child, having lived with his father in the mid-1980s at Fort Leonard Wood in Missouri. "He served for 27 years in the Army, giving it everything he had," Balch said. "After less than 30 days in Iraq, his son is killed in combat. Talk about character of family and commitment to serve your country. . . . Jonathan wanted to be just like his father." Relatives described the young soldier as a respectful, "likable kid" who watched out for his family, whether that meant sending money home to help his mother or tending to his older brother, Niko, after he was injured in a car accident. After enlisting, Jonathan received training as a combat engineer at Fort Leonard Wood. In August, he was posted to Fort Riley, Kansas, for deployment training.
"I met him when he first landed in Iraq," Ioakimo Falaniko said yesterday, recalling how the two hugged one another. "I said, 'Son, I am very proud of you. "
On October 11, 2003, the two met again to place a video call home. Jonathan told his mother not to worry. When his sister asked whether he had killed anyone, he told her, "No, but when the time comes, I will. I'm focused. I know what I'm doing," their father recalled. Ioakimo Falaniko said he and his son were happy to be serving together but followed military protocol. Rather than addressing him as "father," Jonathan called him "sergeant major," Falaniko recalled with a smile. The two made plans to meet next week to go Christmas shopping and take pictures at some of Baghdad's historical sites. Instead, the father escorted his son's body back to the United States a few days ago. Yesterday, sharing lunch with family and friends after the memorial service, Falaniko said his son knew the risks of his job but embraced it nonetheless. "He loved the Army," the older man said. Falaniko said he will attend to family matters over the next few days. Then it's back to Iraq, where he has another job to do. "I will finish this fight," he vowed.
There is perhaps no prouder moment for a father, then when his son follows him into the family business. Certainly there is no sadder task for a father than to bury his son.
Command Sergeant Major Ioakimo Falaniko, 49, Engineering Brigade, 1st Armored Division, experienced both of these emotions in the past few months. The senior noncommissioned officer was elated when his son Jonathan, 20, joined the Army in May and chose the same job as his dad, following the proud warrior tradition of his Samoan ancestors. Pvt. Jonathan Falaniko and his squad had just removed two improvised explosive devices from the side of the road near the Baghdad police station October 27, 2003, when a rocket propelled grenade struck their vehicle. The younger Falaniko was at the point of impact. The Command Sergeant Major of the unit, his father, received an urgent message his son's unit was hit and five soldiers were wounded. Jonathan had only been in Iraq for 30 days.
"I went to the aid station," the grieving father said after the funeral Friday morning. "I saw him in a body bag. I told everybody to get out of the room. I shed my tears. I talked to him for 20 to 25 minutes." The father accompanied his son's body home. "The medic ignored her own wound and tried to treat my son. He was just a typical Soldier. If not him, someone else." The son asked his father to accompany him to his enlistment ceremony at the Seattle recruiting command. "That was one proud moment," Falaniko said. "When he swore in, I reaffirmed my oath. He loved the Army. He said, 'I will do my best not to disappoint you.' He was aware of the danger. I talked to him. The enemy is watching us everyday. It could have been me." Some 20 to 25 command sergeants major past and present, and a handful of generals showed up at Fort Myer's Memorial Chapel for the Catholic service. A little known, but exceedingly tough texture of the American fabric was on display. Broad, muscular, Samoan men, some in native dress, Samoan women with tropical white flowers in their hair and a choir brought a touch of the South Pacific to the service. The father read letters from his son to him and his mother and siblings. The letters depicted the son as an effervescent young man who loved his family deeply and immensely enjoyed being a soldier. American Samoa's congressman, Eni F.H. Faleomovaega delivered a brief speech in Samoan before telling of how it is customary to make speeches in their culture at funerals, "So Jonathan Falaniko will never be forgotten. Jonathan was quite aware of being in harm's way. This man, Jonathan Falaniko lived and died honorably as a Samoan warrior." The senior Falaniko uttered a defiant note after the funeral. "As soon as I finish taking care of the family, I'm going back by the end of the month," he said. "I will finish the fight, no regret. He is my hero."
Congressman Faleomavaega today expressed his gratitude and sincere appreciation for the 1st Armored Division's decision to honor Private Jonathan Falaniko, a son of American Samoa who was killed in Baghdad, Iraq by naming a house on the military's Freedom Rest recreation compound as Pvt. Falaniko Inn.
FALANIKO, JONATHAN OAKIMO
PVT US ARMY
DATE OF BIRTH: 01/30/1983
DATE OF DEATH: 10/27/2003
BURIED AT: SECTION 60 SITE 8132
ARLINGTON NATIONAL CEMETERY
Gravesite Details
Interment date 11-7-2003. PVT US Army. Information extracted from the National Cemetery Administration's National Gravesite Locator. http://www.cem.va.gov/
