The war comes to my neighborhood..
Family, friends pay last respects to slain Marines
By Greg Botonis and Rachel Uranga
Staff Writers
U.S. Marines Eric Ayon of Arleta and Allan Walker of Lancaster were laid to rest in separate funerals Saturday, and though they never met, friends and family said they had one thing in common -- courage.
Both men died in combat in Iraq -- Ayon was killed on April 9 by a land mine as he went to the aid of two soldiers wounded in a gunbattle in the Anbar province, and Walker was killed on March 30 as he led an infantry unit in the Sunni Triangle city of Ramadi.
"Eric Ayon, he taught us one of the greatest virtues, courage," said the Rev. Joseph Shea at the 26-year-old's funeral at Glendale's Holy Family Catholic Church. "And he paid the ultimate price for his courage and heroism."
At the funeral for Walker, 28, at Lancaster Presbyterian Church, mourners said they were honored to have known a "true hero."
"He wasn't just a local hero, he was a national hero," said Evyette Martin, among hundreds who paid final respects. "He and all of the men who have given their lives for us are the true heroes. They are the reason we are free."
Ayon, a private first class, and Walker, a staff sergeant, are among more than 680 U.S. servicemen killed in Iraq since the war began in March 2003.
At Ayon's service, mariachis played solemnly as four Marines and four of Ayon's close friends carried his flag-draped casket. His son, Joshua, 7, clutched the end of the coffin, while Ayon's widow, Angie, and his mother and father followed.
Ayon was remembered as a brave yet gentle man who had a special way of reaching out to the disenchanted and as a man with an unwavering dedication to the Marines and his country.
A graduate of Herbert Hoover High School in Glendale, Ayon was described as a natural leader who counseled troubled teens at Mid Valley Continuation Day School in Van Nuys before joining the Marines last year.
Desiree Peralta, a 16-year-old former student of Ayon, wept quietly as she gathered with hundreds of his friends and members of his family at Forest Lawn Memorial-Park, Glendale. Ayon steered her away from gangs and drugs, she said.
"He was the best. A true man with honesty, integrity and courage. He was walking sunlight," said Ron Michelstein, a teacher at Mid Valley who worked with Ayon for more than a year. "He saved a lot of kids' lives. Maybe even more lives than he did in war."
Popular Spanish-language singer Lupillo Rivera, known for his songs of immigrant struggle and street life, sang at the service.
"He was a fan of mine," Rivera said of Ayon. "He's a troop that lets us sleep comfortably at night when something has to be taken care of. Little did he know that I am a fan of his."
In Lancaster, mourners talked lovingly of Walker's quirks and personality traits.
"There's so many great memories," said Leonard Piontkowski, Walker's friend since high school. "The high school stuff, when we became men. He was a good man."
Those from all parts of the community came out to say goodbye to their friend, including former high school teachers and a motorcycle club of Vietnam veterans.
Walker was a 1993 graduate of Highland High School and a Marine for nearly 10 years.
He had considered attending Whittier College after high school but instead joined the Marines and decided to make it his career.
"In the Marine Corps, he was a staff sergeant and drill instructor and he influenced many lives," said Lt. Col. Drew Crane.
"It's because of his good work training the soldiers that are out there now that we all owe him a debt of gratitude. Allan lived a great life and all of us should be proud."
Interment for Walker will be at 11 a.m. Monday at the Los Angeles National Cemetery, 950 S. Sepulveda Boulevard. The interment will be a U.S. Marine Corps ceremony and is open to anyone wanting to attend.
Greg Botonis, (661) 267-7802 [email protected]
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Men?
Probably.
Heroes?
Definitely.
