SGT David “Doc” Almazan, U.S. Army
February 27, 1979 – August 27, 2006
David came to the United States from Mexico with his mother and two sisters at age 11, joining his father in Southern California. Kind and gentle, he found joy in helping others and dreamed of becoming a physician assistant and retiring as a Los Angeles firefighter. He loved all kinds of music and all types of dancing, but salsa was his favorite—both the music and the moves. He also considered himself a hot sauce connoisseur, putting it on nearly everything he ate. He graduated from Van Nuys High School in 1997 and briefly attended Los Angeles Valley College. A devoted sports fan, he admired Scottie Pippen and loved the Dodgers.
In 2002, he enlisted in the Army as a medic. After completing basic training at Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri, he received AIT medical training as a health care specialist at Fort Sam Houston, Texas, where he extended his stay to earn the Expert Field Medical Badge. His first assignment was with the 25th Infantry Division at Schofield Barracks, Hawaii, followed by a 14-month deployment to Afghanistan. After a brief mission in the Philippines, he joined the 1st Battalion, 36th Infantry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 1st Armored Division, based in Friedberg, Germany. His unit later deployed to Iraq to provide security in a city about seventy miles northwest of Ramadi. On August 27, 2007, he was killed when a roadside bomb detonated near his Humvee during a combat patrol clearing explosive devices.
He was in the process of becoming a U.S. citizen when he deployed. On the day he gave his life, he was posthumously granted citizenship.
On his wedding day, he gave a speech. Calling it the happiest day of his life, he shared what he believed life was all about: “To me, life is about the memories, the moments we have in our lives... the happy moments... sad moments... just the moments we have in our life.”
His legacy lives on through his wife, Salina, as well as his extended family, friends, and fellow soldiers.
