Army Sgt. Steven L. Talamantez

Remember Our Heroes

Army Sgt. Steven L. Talamantez, 34, of Laredo, Texas

Sgt. Talamantez was assigned to 3rd Battalion, 8th Cavalry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division, Fort Hood, Texas; died July 10, 2011 in Amarah, Iraq, of injuries suffered when enemy forces attacked his unit with indirect fire.


Sgt Talamantez, born and raised in San Antonio, graduated from McCollum High in 1995 before moving to Laredo where he joined the Army.
He joined the Army in January 2008 as an M1 armor crewman. Before enlisting in the military, he worked with his father in the contracting business.

Sgt Talamantez met his wife Sandra, a Laredo native, in San Antonio in 2005. They married in 2007. He was on his second deployment to Iraq.

Sandra said, “His enlistment ended in May, but he extended it because he wanted to go again with his team,” she said. “He was always the guy who was there for you.”

“You will live on through the stories all of us will tell every chance we get,” said Shawn English, a fellow soldier in Talamantez's platoon.

Sgt Talamantez's awards and decorations include:
Army Commendation Medal
Army Achievement Medals
Meritorious Unit Citation
Army Good Conduct Medal
National Defence Service Medal
Iraqi Campaign Medal with combat service star
Global War on Terrorism Service Medal
Army Service Ribbon
Overseas Service Ribbon
Combat Action Badge

Sgt Talamantez's body, led by several dozen motorcycles, was escorted earlier today (Tuesday, June 19) from Randolph Air Force Base to Fort Sam Houston National Cemetery where he will be interred. Hundreds of Air Force service members, military workers and civilians were there to show their support and respect.

Sgt Talamantez is survived by his mother, Esperanza; wife, Sandra; son Joseph and daughter, Alexandra. He is preceded in death by his father and older brother.

Army Sgt. Steven L. Talamantez was killed in action on 7/10/11.