Carrboro honors soldier slain in Iraq

CARRBORO -- The family of Staff Sgt. Misael Martinez saw firsthand their son's life make a difference Tuesday.

Martinez, 24, a six-year Army veteran, was on his third tour in Iraq when he was killed by a roadside bomb Nov. 11 in Ramadi. He grew up in Orange County.

On Tuesday night, the Martinez family, some of whom had flown in from Mexico, gathered in Town Hall to accept a resolution from the the Board of Alderman honoring the young soldier. More important, they received a certificate from the Latino Community Credit Union -- on which Carrboro Alderman John Herrera sits as chairman -- creating a scholarship fund to support high-achieving Hispanic students who want to attend college: the Misael Martinez Memorial Scholarship.

The credit union recognizes that many young men, such as Martinez, join the military to earn money for college.

"I hope this is like a door of opportunities for other people ... and that they stay safe at home," said Martinez's father, Juan Antonio Martinez. "This is something I'm not happy about, and I cannot go back in time and change it. I cannot say, 'Stay with me.' "

Misael Martinez's younger brother, Israel, 22, joined the Army last year. He will deploy in January for his first tour of duty in Iraq.

"[The scholarship] is actually a pretty good thing," Israel Martinez said. "A lot of Hispanic people don't have a lot of opportunities. We all know how costly college is.

"It's unbelievable. It's going to help a lot of people," he added. "This is just going to give them an extra step if they don't have another shoulder to lean on."

The board also declared today Staff Sgt. Misael Martinez Day. All town flags will fly at half staff in his honor.

The Martinez family asks that memorials and donations to made to the scholarship fund. They should be sent to LCCU, Attn: Misael Martinez Memorial Scholarship Fund, P.O. Box 25360, Durham, NC 27702.

The board's resolution also calls for other actions, such as immediately withdrawing troops from Iraq and for the Bush administration and Congress "to pass a just and fair comprehensive immigration reform that meets the economic needs of our country and reflect the ideals and values in which this nation was founded."