Army Sgt. 1st Class Joselito O. Villanueva, 36, of Los Angeles
SFC Villanueva was assigned to the 9th Engineer Battalion, 1st Infantry Division, Schweinfurt, Germany; killed Sept. 27, 2004 when a sniper shot him while he was at his observation post in Balad, Iraq.
An Army sergeant who was lucky to escape alive after his Humvee rolled over an explosive device last spring saw his luck run out when he was struck by a sniper's bullet in Balad, Iraq, last week.
Army Sgt. 1st Class Joselito O. Villanueva was killed Sept. 27 during an ambush, U.S. military officials said. He was posthumously awarded a Purple Heart and Bronze Star to go with the two National Defense medals, four good conduct medals, four Army achievement medals and one Purple Heart he'd already received.
The former Los Angeles resident had narrowly avoided death during another ambush last spring when the Humvee he was riding in ran over the explosive. The blast that followed sent a piece of shrapnel the size of a half dollar through his neck.
''He's lucky it didn't kill him,'' recalled 1st Sgt. David L. Morgan.
On Monday, Villanueva, known to his colleagues as Sgt. V, was on a routine patrol when his convoy saw a truck driven by an Iraqi civilian crash. They were fired on after they stopped to help. Only Villanueva was hit.
The 36-year-old soldier was a combat engineer who worked with an armored division defusing explosives, setting up mine fields and tearing down obstacles. The 11-year Army veteran had been in Iraq since February.
Joselito O. Villanueva's sunny personality quickly endeared "Sergeant V" to many of his fellow soldiers and their families.
"Joe was a very sweet guy, and he had such a big heart," said Staff Sgt. Kenneth Robinson. "He was also sociable, and he loved hanging out at the Irish pub with all his friends. I don't think Joe realized how special he made people feel."
Villanueva, 36, of Los Angeles, was killed Sept. 27 in an ambush in Balad, Iraq.
The 11-year Army veteran was based in Germany.
Villanueva earned a Purple Heart in April when a roadside bomb exploded next to his Humvee, killing one of his soldiers. A piece of shrapnel the size of a half dollar pierced his neck.
He was a combat engineer who worked defusing explosives, setting up mine fields and tearing down obstacles.
"He was well-trained and believed deeply in what he was doing," said Sgt. Michael Anderson. "He was always there for his solders and his friends."
Villanueva is survived by his parents, Edito and Pklarita.
Army Sgt. 1st Class Joselito O. Villanueva was killed in action on 9/27/04.
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