Roy Russell Buckley, Iraq War CasualtyPorter County Data on Iraq War Casualties . . . .
Roy Russell Buckley
Specialist, 685th Transportation Company Reserve Unit
Date of Birth: May 17, 1978
Date of Death: April 22, 2003
Cause of Death: Accident, fell from vehicle
Hometown: Portage
Newspaper Notices:
Army Spc. Roy Russell Buckley
After an officer complimented him on the shine on his boots, Spc. Roy Russell
Buckley of Portage, Ind., turned it into a profit-making venture — polishing
boots for half his company before inspection.
“He made a lot of money shining those boots,” his mother, Janie Espinoza, told
the Gary Post-Tribune.
Buckley, 24, an Army Reservist, died April 22 in a vehicle accident in Baghdad,
the Pentagon said. He was traveling in a convoy and climbed out of the passenger
compartment of a truck to get into the trailer and fell. After he did not
return, he was discovered lying on the side of the road with serious injuries
and was pronounced dead.
“He was the life of the family,” said Espinoza, an ordained minister. “I’m just
going to have to have the Lord with me to help me through this.”
Buckley last spoke to his mother on Easter, saying he hoped to be home in time
for Mother’s Day.
A graduate of Merrillville High School, Buckley joined the reserves three years
ago, while also working at Midwest Steel. He had hoped to become a police
officer.
He has a 6-year-old daughter who lives with her mother. “His main passion and
love was his little girl. Any time ‘Bucky’ was feeling down, he thought about
his little girl,” said Charles Calvin, one of two older brothers. Buckley also
had a younger sister.
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Source: USA Today; Associated Press
Family, Friends Prepare for Funeral of Indiana Soldier
MERRILLVILLE, Ind.— Family and friends of a soldier killed in a truck accident
in Iraq have been preparing to say their final goodbyes.
The funeral for Army Spc. Roy Buckley, 24, of Hobart was scheduled for Saturday.
Buckley was aboard a truck traveling in a convoy when he left the passenger
compartment and climbed into the trailer. A preliminary report showed Buckley
was tossing food to Iraq children from the back of the truck, said Maj. Willie
Harris, an Army spokesman.
“Roy was doing the work of God. He made it into heaven doing what Jesus did,
feeding the multitudes,” said Charles Calvin, Buckley’s brother.
Army officials presented the Bronze Star to Buckley’s family on Thursday in
recognition of his service in Iraq.
Buckley was a specialist with the 685th Transportation Co. reserve unit, based
in Hobart, and drove fuel trucks for the unit. He joined the Army Reserves three
years ago.
Joe Richard, an uncle, said his nephew joined the military to help people and
died completing that goal.
“That personifies his personality, thinking of others before himself,” Richard
said. “It’s pretty rare these days to find a young man with that heart. I look
up to him today.”
The funeral is scheduled for noon Saturday at Pruzen Brothers Funeral Services
in Merrillville. Buckley will be buried at Evergreen Memorial Park in Hobart.
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Source: Associated Press
Specialist Roy Russell Buckley, 24
Hobart, Ind. --
Roy Russell Buckley died Wednesday, April 23, in a non-combat vehicle accident
in Baghdad.
A 1996 graduate of Merrillville High School in northwest Indiana, Buckley joined
the Army Reserve three years ago in Hobart, Ind., and was deployed to Fort
Campbell, Ky., in late January.
He had been employed for a short time as a millworker at Midwest Steel when he
was deployed.
His fiancée, Jenina Bellina, 24, of Chicago was a reservist with the Hobart
unit. She returned home from Iraq after Buckley's death.
His uncle, Joe Richard of New Chicago, Ind., said the family believed the two
planned to marry.
"He hadn't announced it, but we kind of expected it."
Buckley, known as Bucky to family and friends, had a special place in his heart
for Alicia, his 6-year-old daughter, who lives with her mother in the Hobart
area.
"He was so thrilled to get a new picture of her in the package we sent," Richard
said. "He showed it to everybody in his unit, saying, 'This is my daughter.'"
Buckley was a sports enthusiast growing up and became involved with karate.
"He was more patriotic than anyone," Richard said. "He was American through and
through." His bedroom was decorated with American political and military
memorabilia.
Richard said an officer told him his nephew "was an excellent soldier."
"He would get his job done, then go help someone else with their job," he said.
"That made me very proud."
Buckley was the third resident of a small area in northwest Indiana to be killed
in the war, news services said.
In addition to his daughter, Buckley is survived by his mother, Janie Espinoza,
and his stepfather, Phillip Espinoza, both of Hobart; two brothers, Victor
Calvin of Hobart and Charles Calvin of Portage, Ind.; and a sister, Catrena
Calvin of Hobart.
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Source: The Gazette, Colorado Spring, El Paso County, Colorado; May 2,
2003
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Porter County Iraq War Casualties
Information abstracted and transcribed by Steven R. Shook