256th Brigade Remembers Fallen Soldiers

Photo By Sgt. 1st Class Thomas Benoit | Friends of Spc. Hernando Rios, and Sgt. Anthony Kalladeen comfort each other Aug. 11 as they mourn the deaths of the two Soldiers.  

BAGHDAD, IRAQ

08.19.2005

Courtesy Story

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Spc. Erin Robicheaux
256th Brigade Combat Team PAO

CAMP TIGERLAND, Iraq " Task Force Baghdad Soldiers gathered in a small chapel in Baghdad Aug. 11 to honor, remember, and mourn the loss of two friends and fellow service members.

Sgt. Anthony N. Kalladeen and Spc. Hernando Rios, both of 1st Battalion, 69th Infantry Regiment, attached to 1st Battalion, 156th Armor Regiment and 2nd Battalion, 156th Infantry Regiment, 256th Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division, lost their lives Aug. 7 when their patrol was hit by an improvised explosive device and small-arms fire.

Sgt. Daniel Barr from Olean, N.Y., said both Soldiers left lasting impressions on many who met them. They were assigned to Barr's vehicle, and he said each enlisted into the 1/69th specifically to come overseas and fight the war on terrorism.

Kalladeen was a Soldier through and through, said Barr. As a former Marine, the Purchase, N.Y., native constantly compared the way the Army did things, as opposed to the Marine way.

"He always said, "In the Marines we did it this way,"" said Barr.

He recalled how Kalladeen never missed a meal or a workout and he could always be found in the chow hall or the gym. Barr also said not once could he remember his big friend saying, "That's not my job." If he was told to do something, he did it, no questions asked.

Kalladeen's heart was as big as his stature, and Barr said he adopted a family in their area of operations.

"He took pictures with them all the time. He developed them with his own money and brought copies out to the family," stated Barr. He said Kalladeen knew how much it meant to them.

The road that runs to the family's house is called "Kalladeen Road," and Barr said it was like that before the Soldier perished.

Rios joined his unit just a short time ago, but in that period made a name for himself among the 1/69th organization. A vehicle driver and dismount rifleman from Queens, N.Y., Rios was eager to jump into the missions, and proved to be an outstanding Soldier who always looked out for his friends.

Barr said Rios switched trucks from time to time to fill in when needed, and he always had a hard time getting him back.

"If you met him, you wanted him with you (on a mission)," he added.

Barr said Rios was incredibly well-read and never backed down from an intellectual challenge.

"He was political and could argue any point well," he recalled.

Barr said both Soldiers will be tremendously missed and their absence will be felt by all.

"The loss was extreme," he said. "They were not ordinary Soldiers by any means."

Sgt. Rafael Molina, from Queens, N.Y., of Headquarters Company, 1/69th Inf. Reg. was friends with both Kalladeen and Rios, and indicated that each epitomized the ideal Soldier.

He said Kalladeen always volunteered himself. If he was not at the armory, he called there to see if there was any way he could lend his services to his unit. Molina said his friend loved the uniform, loved the training, and loved anything having to do with being part of a team.

"He never knew the word "can't,"" said Molina. "He always knew that he could figure the situation out, whatever it was."

Molina also said Kalladeen had more military gear than anyone he ever met.

"He had more stuff than most whole National Guard units have," he joked. All his friend ever wanted was to be a Soldier and defend his country.

"For those who never got a chance to meet him, I feel sorry for them, and for those who did, they must feel that empty space that I do at this moment," said Molina.

Rios held a special place in Molina's heart from day one. He wanted to join the Guard, but as a big guy, his weight held him back. Molina said Rios was determined, though, and adamantly said if given the chance, he could make the necessary changes to become a part of the 1/69th.

"His determination to reach his goal is something to be admired, and many people can take a lesson from that," he said. "If just one person gets that, then they can know what it is like to be in the presence of Spc. Rios."

Molina said on the day the Soldiers gave their lives, a part of him died with them.

"It's a day I wish never happened, and I wish it was a nightmare and I could just wake up," he said.

He said the world is lonelier without his buddies, but he knows that God has a special place for people like them.

• Date Taken: 08.19.2005
• Date Posted: 08.19.2005 14:13
• Story ID: 2793
• Location: BAGHDAD, IQ