JBSA-FORT SAM HOUSTON –
Family, friends and Soldiers from U.S. Army South's 56th Signal Battalion gathered to say goodbye and honor the memory of Spc. Hernaldo Beltran Jr. at Dodd Field Chapel at Joint Base San Antonio-Fort Sam Houston April 30.
The ceremony included the traditional roll call, rifle squad salute and final tribute with the playing of Taps.
Beltran died April 22 during the Beyond the Horizon-Guatemala exercise when a large tree branch fell on a group of Soldiers as they were taking a break from working on an engineering project in Los Limones, about 53 miles south of Guatemala City.
"Our thoughts, prayers and heartfelt condolences are with Spc. Beltran's family," said Lt. Col. Nicole Morris, commander of the 56th Sig. Bn. "Our unit mourns the loss of Hernaldo. He was a tremendous Soldier and his commitment to our Army was unwavering. We've lost a member of our family and we'll never forget him."
Originally from El Paso, Texas, Beltran enlisted in the Army Dec. 29, 2009 and completed his basic training at Fort Knox, Kentucky, in 2010. After basic combat training, he attended advanced individual training at Fort Gordon, Georgia.
In July 2010, Beltran arrived to his first duty station with the 56th Signal Bn., where he was assigned to the Radio Platoon and served as a radio operator.
According to those with whom he served, Beltran was a role model for others.
"His infectious personality and overwhelming drive opened the door to excellence for others to follow," said Capt. Joel Joyce, Headquarters and Headquarters Detachment commander, 56th Sig. Bn. "He also served as an outstanding radio operator and linguist for three Beyond the Horizon missions. His dedication to the mission was a large part of the mission's success."
Sgt. James Pettit, a radio operator with 56th Sig. Bn., and a close friend of Beltran, spoke during the ceremony about their friendship and their time together since Beltran came to the unit.
"I didn't know it then that the path we would embark on would become more than a friendship," Pettit said.
"It would become a brotherhood. I know this because of how we looked out for each other. Beltran always had everyone else's best interest in heart."
According to the battalion commander, although he is no longer with them physically, Beltran will continue to serve as an inspiration for others within the 56th Signal Battalion.
"As we mourn his loss, we become more and more grateful for the life he led and for his influence on all of us," Morris said. "We plan to continually honor him through our dedication to the difficult and demanding profession which he enjoyed so much."