Sgt. James R. Tijerina graduated from Katy High School in 1997, he was part of the football team that won a state championship his senior year. He decided to join the Marines in 2002 before the war in Iraq began. He was proud to be a Marine.
As a crew chief, he helped pick up wounded troops and take them to safety. This was his second tour in Iraq. The first time he was sent to Baghdad was only a year after he joined and he was scheduled to return home to his station at Camp Pendleton in San Diego on March 20 2007. He wanted to make a career out of it and had enlisted for another five years.
Not only had James found a career in the Marines, but it also enabled him to meet the woman who would become his wife. The two met after James was stationed at Camp Pendleton in San Diego. When he met her, he called home to tell them he found his soul mate. The couple married shortly before he left for Iraq and they had planned to have a bigger ceremony in June after he came home from his tour.
Christmas Eve 2006 he ran in a 5K race at Camp Taqaddum with 250 other troops where he won first place with a time of 18 minutes and 46 seconds. He was a soft-spoken and caring man who loved the outdoors. His real passion, however, was for animals. It was a real nightmare in the house for his family when the snakes got loose. He would find wounded animals on the street and try to nurse them back to health. Even the mean dogs he could handle because they could sense it. He was 26.
Marines
Medium Helicopter Squadron 364
Marine Aircraft Group 39
3rd Marine Aircraft Wing
I Marine Expeditionary Force
Camp Pendleton, Calif.
Sgt. James R. Tijerina graduated from Katy High School in 1997, he was part of the football team that won a state championship his senior year. He decided to join the Marines in 2002 before the war in Iraq began. He was proud to be a Marine.
As a crew chief, he helped pick up wounded troops and take them to safety. This was his second tour in Iraq. The first time he was sent to Baghdad was only a year after he joined and he was scheduled to return home to his station at Camp Pendleton in San Diego on March 20 2007. He wanted to make a career out of it and had enlisted for another five years.
Not only had James found a career in the Marines, but it also enabled him to meet the woman who would become his wife. The two met after James was stationed at Camp Pendleton in San Diego. When he met her, he called home to tell them he found his soul mate. The couple married shortly before he left for Iraq and they had planned to have a bigger ceremony in June after he came home from his tour.
Christmas Eve 2006 he ran in a 5K race at Camp Taqaddum with 250 other troops where he won first place with a time of 18 minutes and 46 seconds. He was a soft-spoken and caring man who loved the outdoors. His real passion, however, was for animals. It was a real nightmare in the house for his family when the snakes got loose. He would find wounded animals on the street and try to nurse them back to health. Even the mean dogs he could handle because they could sense it. He was 26.
Marines
Medium Helicopter Squadron 364
Marine Aircraft Group 39
3rd Marine Aircraft Wing
I Marine Expeditionary Force
Camp Pendleton, Calif.
