Jonathan Frank Sanchez

Jonathan Frank Sanchez was born on August 29, 1986, the only son of Frank and Silvia Sanchez. As a young boy, he spent his days playing video games, mastering karate, and spending time with his beloved family. As he grew older, Jonathan acquired several admirable qualities that made him into the man we will always remember him to be. The words caring, sweet, brave, and responsible do not even begin to do him justice. Jonathan was in fact compassionate, valiant, humble, and faithful, just to list a few. He was very charming, and it was not hard to notice that he had his own unique sense of humor; it did not take much to put a smile on Jonathan’s serious face. One particular thing to note about Jonathan, however, was that his actions demonstrated the type of man he was: a man that gave too much and asked for too little in return.

He was always loving and affectionate, especially toward his parents who were his everything. His life revolved around them, and for this reason he always strived to make them proud, a feat he accomplished repeatedly. He never failed to show them the love and respect they expressed to him all throughout his life. He was very protective over them, as he was of everyone he cared about. When his cousins needed him he canceled his plans for the day to council them because he knew they needed him. He never missed an opportunity to crack a few jokes with his grandparents or counsel his younger cousins. From the perspective of his younger cousins, Jonathan will always be the “big brother” they never had. Anyone that knew Jonathan recognized that to him, family was always first.

Jonathan had the aptitude to live his life on his own terms. He was always direct and honest, and expressed his own opinion truthfully without being influenced by others. This allowed him to have a great impact on the lives of every individual that was fortunate enough to cross paths with him. These characteristics also made Jonathan the leader and counselor we all knew him to be. No matter what kind of problem you were in, no matter how much of a fool you made yourself out to be, Jonathan was always there to listen and to help. He was beyond charitable; if your computer crashed, if you needed a hand with your car, or even if you had a financial problem, he was always there.

With no doubt, everyone here knew that Jonathan was honorable and fearless. From an early age, Jonathan displayed the discipline and stamina it took to join the Army. He enlisted in the Army National Guard in 2004, a year before he graduated from West Covina High School in 2005. He deployed to Iraq from 2007 to 2008 and completed well over 65 combat missions as a driver and gunner, traveling over 50,000 miles, and securing the safe passage for over 300,000 logistical supply trucks. His superiors, primarily his platoon leader, had said that Jonathan was the model soldier when it came to selfless service as he always put mission first regardless of the situation. During one of his missions, Jonathan was injured, and his decision to continue on with his mission illustrated acts of dedication, valor, and selfless service. Such actions helped him receive a Purple Heart, among several other medals he previously received for his services during combat missions. He believed it was his duty to faithfully and diligently serve his country. He had absolute respect for his Army brothers and leaders whom never ceased to be a very important part of his life. Even after he came back from Iraq, he always looked forward to spending his weekend once a month working on the Army base, just to see his “other” family. The Army drove Jonathan to better himself, to fight what he believed in, and to never give up his dreams.

Jonathan also found happiness in the times he spent with his friends. He loved going out to the shooting range, barbecuing at his house, or just simply hanging out at the house with his friends. Jonathan always made his friends feel like they were right at home. He also enjoyed the time he spent with his girlfriend Nena, who made him very happy.

Jonathan unexpectedly passed away May 12, 2010 and his remains now reside in Riverside National Cemetery. He will always be remembered as an honorable and respectable man. He was raised with so much love and he shared this love with everyone he knew. Jonathan always believed himself to be a fighter and he was truly this up until the very moment he took his last breath. And He will always remain a fighter in each and every one of our hearts. We were all truly blessed to have been a part of his life.