Photo By Staff Sgt. Victor Joecks | Capt. Mark Kennoy, commander of the 72nd Military Policy Company presents the flag...... read more read more
LAS VEGAS — He may have lost his battle with cancer, but it wasn’t because Sgt. Frankie Martinez, a military policeman with the 72nd Military Police Company, 17th Special Troops Battalion, 17th Sustainment Brigade, ever stopped fighting.
“Frankie was only 22 years old when he lost his fight with cancer, but he had the soul of a true warrior,” said Capt. Mark Kennoy, 72nd MP commander, during Martinez’s funeral at The Crossing on April 7, 2018.
At 22, Martinez was on the fast track to military promotion and graduation from the Nevada Highway Patrol academy. It was only fitting for the former Desert Oasis track star who joined the National Guard just months after graduating in 2014. He may have been young, but he was going places in a hurry.
That all changed last October. With just three weeks to go until his graduation from the NHP academy, Martinez received a cancer diagnosis. Despite going into treatment immediately, he soon learned he had stage 4 cancer, and his outlook was bleak. It was when he was at his weakest, that his fellow Soldiers saw the depths of his strength.
“His doctors said there was nothing they could do,” said Sgt. Curtis Dorsey, Martinez’s 72nd MP squad leader, at the service. “But Frankie being Frankie, he fought it.
“Everything out of him was ‘I got this.’ ‘I’m going to beat this.’ ‘I still have things to do.’
“I thought I knew what strength was. I was wrong, but Frankie knew.”
Martinez wasn’t just tough. He had an infectious smile, encouraged others to pursue new activities and rejoiced in the success of his friends and family. The crowd of over 500 family, friends, Soldiers and Nevada Highway Patrol officers felt that loss as speakers recalled favorite memories and special moments.
“Frankie was one of our Soldiers and a warrior from birth,” said First Sgt. Rafael Aguilera of the 72nd MPs. Aguilera called the Soldiers to attention and posthumously awarded him the Army Commendation Medal and promoted him to Sergeant. The crowd and Soldiers roared their approval, a needed break from the tears that fell throughout the memorial.
This was the second tragic loss for the Nevada National Guard in the last seven months. Last October, First Sgt. Charleston Hartfield, with the 100th Quartermaster Company and also a Las Vegas Metro police officer, died during the October 1 shooting at the Route 91 Harvest festival.
Like Hartfield, a joint military and law enforcement honor guard transported Martinez’s body. After the funeral, Martinez’s family held a service at Boulder City Municipal Cemetery. His family and closest friends received folded American flags from the National Guard and Nevada Highway Patrol. Martinez is gone, but he won’t be forgotten.
“Frankie was one hell of a Soldier and overall one of a kind,” said Dorsey. “Just a great person. The unit and NHP has lost one incredible individual. You are and will always be my brother. I love you, and I will miss you.”
| Date Taken: | 04.09.2018 |
| Date Posted: | 04.09.2018 03:10 |
| Story ID: | 272232 |
| Location: | LAS VEGAS, NV, US |
| Web Views: | 1,612 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Nevada Guard, Nevada Highway Patrol bury, commemorate MP after courageous cancer fight, by SSG Victor Joecks, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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