Frances M. Vega
Army Sgt. Frances M. Vega, 20, of Fort
Buchanan,PR Unit: assigned to 151st Adjutant General Postal Detachment 3 at Fort
Hood, Texas on November 2, 2003 Died in an attack on a CH-47 Chinook helicopter
in Fallujah, Iraq on route home for R&R. The incident is under investigation
Frances M. Benitez Vega
Rest in Peace
SPC Frances M. Vega a.k.a.
That Girl Benitez (June 1983-November 2, 2003) in San Francisco, California, was
the first female soldier of Puerto Rican descent to die in a combat zone.
Frances M. Vega was born into a military family. Her father was a member of the
U.S. Army and stationed in California where Frances was born. Eventually, her
father retired and the family moved and settled in Puerto Rico. There she
continued her education. A fun loving girl, she attended Antilles High School
and graduated in 2000.
Influenced by her military background and by the aftermath of the 9-11 attacks,
it wasn't long before she decided to enlist in the Army. There she met her
future husband and was married. Vega was assigned with the 151st Adjutant
General Postal Detachment 3 at Fort Hood, Texas.
She was deployed to Iraq in what is known as the War on Terrorism. On November 2, 2003, a ground-to-air missile was
fired by insurgents in Al Fallujah and it hit the U.S. transport helicopter
(Chinook) which Vega was in. She was one of 16 soldiers who lost their lives in
the crash that followed.
SPC Frances M. Vega was buried in the National Cemetery in Bayamon, Puerto Rico
with full military honors and was posthumously awarded a Bronze Star Medal for
bravery and a Purple Heart Medal.
The post office on Camp Victory North, located in Baghdad, Iraq, was renamed to
the Frances M. Vega Army Post Office during a dedication ceremony that took
place on Memorial Day in 2005.
Courtesy of Tony Santiago
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