Army Spc. Ling was assigned to Company C, 1st Battalion, 34th Armor Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, Fort Riley, Kansas. Ling died of injuries sustained from small-arms fire and an improvised explosive device attack in Khalidiyah, Iraq. Roger was the son of a Chinese immigrant. He graduated from Benjamin Cardozo High School in 2001 and enlisted in the Army that same year. When he arrived at Fort Riley in May 2002, he was a true New Yorker – he didn't know how to drive a car. But by the time he was deployed to Iraq last September, he could drive a tank and was learning to maneuver a humvee. In October, Roger's humvee was struck by a homemade bomb. He survived and worked to keep his superior officer alive but he couldn't defy death the second time. The fatal attack occurred only miles from the first one. Roger's family remember him as an ordinary man who loved football, trips to Disney World, television, malls, cars and loved to hang out with his friends. His Army buddies remember what a good soldier he was. He worked hard every day and strived to do the best he could. They also remember the teasing he got in Kansas because he kept pet sea monkeys and was fanatic about video games. He would also use his own money to pay for scopes and other hardware for his Army issued rifle. Roger was looking forward to coming home and going to college.
Army Spc. Ling was assigned to Company C, 1st Battalion, 34th Armor Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, Fort Riley, Kansas. Ling died of injuries sustained from small-arms fire and an improvised explosive device attack in Khalidiyah, Iraq. Roger was the son of a Chinese immigrant. He graduated from Benjamin Cardozo High School in 2001 and enlisted in the Army that same year. When he arrived at Fort Riley in May 2002, he was a true New Yorker – he didn't know how to drive a car. But by the time he was deployed to Iraq last September, he could drive a tank and was learning to maneuver a humvee. In October, Roger's humvee was struck by a homemade bomb. He survived and worked to keep his superior officer alive but he couldn't defy death the second time. The fatal attack occurred only miles from the first one. Roger's family remember him as an ordinary man who loved football, trips to Disney World, television, malls, cars and loved to hang out with his friends. His Army buddies remember what a good soldier he was. He worked hard every day and strived to do the best he could. They also remember the teasing he got in Kansas because he kept pet sea monkeys and was fanatic about video games. He would also use his own money to pay for scopes and other hardware for his Army issued rifle. Roger was looking forward to coming home and going to college.
Bio by: Brenda N
