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He sacrificed all for life as soldier

By SAUNDRA AMRHEIN
Published November 19, 2005

Alexis Roman-Cruz was always taking care of other people.

The former Brandon resident was a doting father and son, a best friend to his wife. When Roman-Cruz, a construction worker, decided to join the Army, he told his wife he wanted a better job with benefits to care for her and their two children.

She disagreed. But she understood.

Army Spc. Roman-Cruz, 33, died in Balad, Iraq, Wednesday from injuries suffered the day before after a bomb detonated near his Humvee. Three other soldiers died as well.

The four were assigned to the 1st Battalion, 320th Field Artillery Regiment, 101st Airborne Division, out of Fort Campbell, Ky.

Fort Campbell lost nine soldiers in the span of a week in late October and early November. With the latest casualties, 83 soldiers based at Fort Campbell have died in the Iraq war.

"He was very caring with everybody," said Roman-Cruz's wife, Johan Roman, 35, speaking from their home in Clarksville, Tenn.

Roman-Cruz and his family lived in Brandon, near Kingswood Elementary School, for a year between 2002 and 2003 before moving to Tennessee, she said.

Before then, they were in Puerto Rico, where they were both born and raised in the same town. They didn't meet until after high school. Her cousin's husband introduced them and they married 13 years ago, she said.

The two had a beautiful marriage, she said. They had a son, now 11, and a daughter, now 7.

He worked in construction in Puerto Rico and then in Florida. He joined the military to secure a better-paying job with benefits to improve their economic standing.

"He was a fighter, a very positive person," she said. "He was a great father."

With his Army salary, they were able to buy a house and car, she said.

Initially Roman-Cruz believed in the war in Iraq, but sometimes questioned its purpose, his wife said.

Johan Roman didn't want her husband to join the Army and the war. "But I'm someone who supported him in everything," she said.

He was very grateful for what Army life gave him, she said.

"Although he sacrificed for it," she added.

The other three soldiers killed in the same attack were Staff Sgt. James E. Estep, 26, of Leesburg, Fla.; Spc. Matthew J. Holley, 21, of San Diego, Calif.; Pfc. Travis J. Grigg, 24, of Inola, Okla.

Roman-Cruz died Wednesday in Balad, Iraq. The other three died Tuesday near Taji.

Times researcher Cathy Wos and the Associated Press contributed to this report.

[Last modified November 19, 2005, 01:07:13]