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Parents of Lt. Emily Perez return to Harriman on first anniverary of memorial’s dedication

| 15 May 2012 | 02:56
    Picture from left to right at the recently completed memorial to Second Lieutenant Emily Perez are: Vice Commander Paul Bamond, Post 1573, Eugene Watkins Post 152, Orange County Commander Catherine Burke, Harriman Village Mayor Stephen Welle, the soldier's mother and father Vicki and Daniel Perez, and Adjt., Past Commander Jerrold P. Oser Sr. Post 1573.
    Picture from left to right at the recently completed memorial to Second Lieutenant Emily Perez are: Vice Commander Paul Bamond, Post 1573, Eugene Watkins Post 152, Orange County Commander Catherine Burke, Harriman Village Mayor Stephen Welle, the soldier's mother and father Vicki and Daniel Perez, and Adjt., Past Commander Jerrold P. Oser Sr. Post 1573.

HARRIMAN — The parents of Second Lt. Emily Perez returned to Harriman on May 2, a year and a day following the dedication of the memorial in her honor. The soldier’s name also has been added to River Road.

Perez served as Corps Commander Sergeant Major when she graduated from West Point in 2005. After graduating she was assigned to the 204 Support Battalion, 2 Brigade, 4 Infantry Division and deployed to Iraq in Nov. 2005 as a medical service corps officer.

She was killed when an improvised explosive device detonated near her Humvee during combat operations in Al Kifl, Near Najaf, on Sept. 12, 2006.

At the age of 23, Perez was the first female graduate of West Point to die in the Iraq War.

According to the press release by Jerrold P. Oser Sr., the adjutant of Mulligan-Eden Post 1573, Vicki and Daniel Perez thanked Harriman Mayor Stephen Welle, Deputy Mayor Edward Shuart Jr. and the Village of Harriman trustees as well as John Karl and Village Maintenance Department, Mulligan-Eden Post 1573 and all the American Legion Post of Orange County for making this memorial to their daughter possible.