'I will never give up'

Images courtesy: Lance Cpl. Tommy Bellegarde

When Lance Cpl. Christopher Rangel graduated from South San West Campus High School in 2006, the San Antonio native had no doubt about what was coming next. Despite efforts to talk him out of taking a risk that some well-intentioned acquaintances felt was unnecessary, the young Texan knew he wanted to be a Marine.

“He was never willing to back down," [friend Lucy] Rodriguez said, trying to maintain her composure as she stood next to his coffin. "I know I tried talking him out of it so many times before he joined. I tried and we tried, everybody tried, but Chris was proud to serve our country."

Lance Cpl. Rangel brought the same resolve to the battlefield. His fierce work ethic will endure in the heart of a friend and fellow Marine.

"One time at his first [combined-arms exercise, Rangel] was falling back carrying the [squad automatic weapon]," said Sgt. Jonathan Lopez, a squad leader with 1st Platoon. "I was pushing him, telling him not to give up. He told me something that motivated me to motivate him even more, 'I will never give up, sergeant. I'm going to do it for you.' I will never forget that, Rangel."

According to the Pentagon, Rangel was killed on May 6 while supporting Operation Moshtarak in Afghanistan's Helmand province. The 22-year-old Marine was assigned to 3rd Battalion, 6th Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division, II Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Lejeune, North Carolina.

The San Antonio Express-News covered Rangel's burial at Fort Sam Houston National Cemetery. Reporter Sig Christenson writes that the Marine grew up as a happy child who loved to sing.

"He had a blast," [uncle] Robert Rangel said. "We would walk in before and we would find him singing it at the top of his lungs, like there was no tomorrow."

Birds sang as Rangel's wife and mother joined hundreds of mourners to honor their hero's sacrifice in San Antonio. Almost 8,000 miles away in Marjah, brave Marines fell to their knees and wept as they saluted a comrade they'll remember for his strong determination. While a sniper's bullet took Lance Cpl. Christopher Rangel from his family and friends, fellow Marines in Afghanistan shot back with a 21-gun salute. Despite the pain of losing a friend, Rangel's unit is making the same promise their fallen brother once made to his sergeant. They will never quit.