Army Spc. Francisco Briseno-Alvarez

Remember Our Heroes

Army Spc. Francisco Briseno-Alvarez, 27, of Oklahoma City, Okla.

Spc. Briseno-Alvarez was assigned to 1st Battalion, 179th Infantry Regiment, 45th Brigade Combat Team, Oklahoma National Guard, Stillwater, Okla. died Sept. 25, 2011 in Laghman province, Afghanistan, of injuries caused by an improvise dexplosive device.


Sgt Briseno-Alvarez graduated from U.S. Grant High School in 2003. He joined the Army National Guard on Sept. 11, 2010, and served as a truck driver.

Major General Myles Deering, from the Oklahoma Army National Guard, said, “My thoughts and prayers are with the Briseno-Alvarez family and those of our wounded heroes. Spc. Briseno-Alvarez answered the call to serve this great Nation and help defend it. His loyalty and ultimate sacrifice for the sake of our Country will never be forgotten.”

Briseno-Alvarez's cousin Juan Cerano said that "he died doing the right thing. He died serving and protecting his country."

"He was like the brother I never had," Cerano said. "I'm really going to miss him. I only have four sisters. I don't have an actual brother, so it's hard to lose somebody like that. There's always going to be part of him in our hearts," Cerano said.

Another cousin, Sarai Cerano, said she remembers him as "always smiling."

"He could lighten up a room," she said, describing him as "just the sweetest, most caring guy ever."

His death is "devastating for our family," she said.

Sarai said her cousin had worked as a delivery driver for a soda company before he was deployed to Afghanistan.

The last time Sarai saw her cousin was when he was in town for a week in the summer.

“He was a bundle of sunshine in every person's path that he crossed. He just had a fire that could ignite anyone's world,” she said.

Briseno-Alvarez is survived by his father, Javier Briseno; his mother, Lurdes Alvarez; a brother, Adrian and sister, Diana.

Army Spc. Francisco Briseno-Alvarez was killed in action on 9/25/11.