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FORT HOOD, Texas — Soldiers and veterans of 2nd Battalion, 5th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Armored Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division, gathered April 10 in front of the battalion headquarters to honor eight Soldiers who lost their lives 22 years ago during some of the fiercest fighting of the Iraq War.
The ceremony commemorated the events of April 4, 2004 — known as “Black Sunday” — when what began as a routine patrol in Sadr City, Iraq, escalated into a deadly ambush and prolonged urban combat.
“Today is a day that is heavy in our hearts,” said Lt. Col. Moises Jimenez, commander of 2-5 Cav. Regt., 1st ABCT, 1st Cav. Div. “What began as an ordinary patrol … turned into some of the fiercest fighting this division has seen since the Vietnam War.”
On that day in 2004 and only days into their deployment, the Lancer Battalion was ambushed and lost Sgt. Eddie Chen, Spc. Robert Arsiaga, Spc. Israel Garza, Spc. Ahmed Cason and Spc. Stephen Hiller.
Two other 1st Cav. Div. Soldiers — Cpl. Forest Jostes and Spc. Casey Sheehan, both of 1st Battalion, 82nd Field Artillery Regiment, then-1st ABCT, 1st Cav. Div. — were killed while responding to assist the ambushed Lancer Soldiers.
Sgt. Michael Mitchell, assigned to 2nd Battalion, 37th Armor Regiment, 1st ABCT, 1st Armored Division, was also killed as part of the quick reaction force.
Jimenez and Command Sgt. Maj. Ryan, 2-5 Cav. Regt. command sergeant major, laid a wreath at the Task Force Lancer memorial, a granite monument engraved with the names of 15 Soldiers who died during the unit’s 2004–2005 deployment. Eight of those mark the losses suffered on Black Sunday.
“Today is about them,” Jimenez said. “Today is about their stories, and today is about their sacrifice.”
He emphasized that while technology and equipment play a role in combat, it is ultimately the Soldiers who carry the mission forward and support each other.
“Black Sunday does not just remind us about the harsh realities of war,” he said. “It reminds us about the value of human life.”
Among those in attendance was Virgil Chen, brother of Sgt. Eddie Chen, who traveled with his wife, Alice Chen, from Hawaii to honor Eddie’s memory.
“He was open-minded, had a kind heart, and was always smiling,” Virgil said. “When you would see him, you would never see him with worry. Everything was always good.”
Both brothers served in the Army and deployed to Iraq. Virgil recalled believing his younger brother would be part of a peacekeeping mission following early declarations of progress in the conflict.
“I was not really thinking he was going into a bad firefight,” he said.
Virgil knew he had to attend the ceremony and honor his brother and the others killed.
“It is important to remember our fallen,” he said.
Command Sgt. Maj. Juan Pablo Godines, now the operations sergeant major for 1st ABCT, 1st Cav. Div., was a private first class when he arrived to the unit months before the deployment. He vividly remembers the events surrounding April 4, 2004.
After arriving in Sadr City, Iraq, under austere conditions, Soldiers initially conducted routine patrols and built relationships with residents. That sense of normalcy quickly vanished, tensions flared and the 2-5 Cav. Regt. unit was attacked and cut off in an alley.
Godines recalled the moment his unit learned of the ambush.
“My platoon sergeant gathered us and told us to load every Humvee with as much ammo as we could carry,” he said. “He briefed us plainly that this was a movement to contact.”
As they pushed into the city, darkness and chaos took hold.
“Movement through Sadr City was like running through a gauntlet of fire,” he said.
Enemy fighters blocked streets and fired from multiple directions, creating a deadly urban battlefield.
Despite the intensity, the Soldiers pressed forward to reach their comrades.
Godines would later return home in time to witness the birth of his first child — a milestone he says underscores the sacrifices made by those who did not return.
“Many others never got that chance,” he said. “I carry them with me every day. That’s why I still wear this uniform.”
For veterans like former Sgt. Justin Bellamy, the ceremony served as a powerful reminder of the bond shared among those who fought that day. Bellamy, then a sergeant with Comanche Company, 2-5 Cav. Regt., 1st ABCT, 1st Cav. Div., was one of the Soldiers in the ambush.
“To see Soldiers standing in formation, not just out of duty, but out of respect … that carries real weight,” Bellamy said. “Those men we lost aren’t just names in history. They were our brothers.”
He encouraged today’s Soldiers to embrace the legacy they inherit as members of the unit.
“You carry the torch now,” Bellamy said. “You’re part of a unit with real history, built on sacrifice, discipline and brotherhood. Be proud of that.”
| Date Taken: | 04.13.2026 |
| Date Posted: | 04.16.2026 18:15 |
| Story ID: | 562866 |
| Location: | FORT HOOD, TEXAS, US |
| Web Views: | 45 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Lancers honor fallen, carry legacy forward at Black Sunday remembrance, by Heather Ashley, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
