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Iraq Victim of war is laid to rest
By KATHRYN WEXLER, Times Staff Writer
© St. Petersburg Times
published April 23, 2003
TAMPA -- The hymns at St. Patrick Catholic Church were over and the Marines had crisply saluted the closed casket of their dead peer, Lance Cpl. Andrew Aviles.
In the emptying parking lot, the last red-eyed mourners at Tuesday's funeral scattered to their cars. They passed a lingering circle of Aviles' buddies from Robinson High School, reminiscing.
Remember the time Andy ate the iguana food pellets, thinking they were chocolate chip cookies? Or how he refused to wear short shorts while cheerleading at games?
Crazy Andy. Just 18, he loved Red Dog beer and didn't own a car, just like many of his friends in the working class, South Tampa neighborhood, Port Tampa.
But Aviles was different from his clique, many of whom got retail jobs instead of college handbooks. Aviles was getting out -- bound for Florida State University on a full scholarship after a quick tour in Iraq with the 4th Assault Amphibian Battalion.
"He was one of the ones from Port Tampa that was going to make it," said Gilbert Brown, 19, sunglasses hanging from his button-down shirt.
Instead, his life was blasted out of him on a bridge on the outskirts of Baghdad on April 7. Steering an amphibious vehicle to storm the city, Aviles took an enemy artillery round the size of a 4-inch cannonball.
The funeral service at his family's church Tuesday morning drew more than the chapel's 650-seat capacity. A TV monitor in a separate room accommodated the overflow. Aside from the extended family, Marines, ROTC cadets, teachers, family friends and a whole raft of former and current students at Robinson, some in tight skirts and casual shirts, all came, suffusing the somber service with a youthful breeziness.
The Aviles family are worshipers at the church, and the Rev. Colman McGarril singled out his parents, Norma and Oscar Aviles, in the front pew.
"Know that you are highly regarded in your parish, you are high profile," the priest said. "Your parish stands beside both of you and lifts you in prayer."
Aviles' sister Kristine Aviles stood at the pulpit, her hair spilling over her black suit, and described their bond.
"He was the best person to sing cheesy '80s songs with," she said. "Andy was not only my brother ... he became one of my best friends."
Kristine Aviles also read a statement from brother Matthew Aviles: "I'll hold down the fort until we meet up again."
A string of people took the podium to praise Aviles, a stocky wrestler with a sharp intellect.
"In the classroom, Andy was stellar," said Robinson principal Kevin McCarthy. Aviles was in the National Honor Society and graduated third in his class.
Tampa Mayor Pam Iorio delivered condolences on behalf of the city of Tampa. "Andrew was a giver, not a taker. Ultimately, he gave his life," she said.
Aviles' body will be cremated. He was the third serviceman from Tampa to die in the war against Iraq.
Beside the casket outside, seven Marines lined up and fired the traditional 21-gun salute. The family accepted a Purple Heart, folded flag, and the Navy and Marine CorpsAchievement Medal for superior performance in the line of duty.
A close friend, Josh Ramos, recalled the way Aviles imitated Alf, a TV character, laughing out loud.
Suddenly, Ramos grew serious.
"I can't get past it," he said, stepping backward and gazing at the asphalt.
Aviles was bound for big things, Ramos said. Everyone thought he would end up a lawyer. Ramos, 20, a manager at a sandwich shop, said his own achievements paled in comparison.
"I'd rather go than Andy," Ramos said. The smiles faded.
"Exactly," Ian Trommer, 20, said.
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