Ramon J. Mendoza Obituary

Hello Bro, I'm sitting here at work and as always you are so much on my mind. I miss and love you so much. I feel your visit sometimes and it put a smile on my face. I wish I could just hug you and put my head on your shoulder. A part of me will forever be lost until we see each other again. Always in my heart, soul, prayer, tears, and Love, Your Cousin/Sister Lissa 12.1.21

You made such a difference. Honoring you and your family this Memorial Day.

November 14, 2011
To the family and friends of Maj. Ramon J. Mendoza:
Please accept my remembrance of Ramon on the anniversary of his passing and know that he will never be forgotten.

To the family and friends of Maj. Ramon J. Mendoza:
Remembering Ramon on the anniversary of his passing. May our fallen heroes never be forgotten!
Peggy Childers
"Don't Let The Memory Of Them Drift Away"
www.IraqWarHeroes.org

Dear Karen, Kiana, and Alek,
I belong to the Prayer Shawl Ministry at my church and we belong to the national group PS4FS (Prayer Shawls for Fallen Soldiers). We send prayer shawls to family members who want them of fallen soldier heroes, which Ramon certainly sounds like. We sent a card some time ago to St Mary in Oceanside, California to get you that information. I don't know if you ever got it or were interested at all, but if we can send any of you a shawl, please contact me. On this Independence Day celebration weekend, we are again reminded that freedom isn't free, but it is so sad that our family members have to pay that price. We would be honored to send you one or more shawls to show our compassion for your and Ramon's ultimate sacrifice. I look forward to hearing from you. God Bless you.

Holding you all in my thoughts and prayers.


The Wind on The Downs

“I like to think of you as brown and tall,
As strong and living as you used to be,
In khaki tunic, Sam Brown belt and all,
And standing there and laughing down at me.
Because they tell me, dear, that you are dead,
Because I can no longer see your face,
You have not died, it is not true, instead
You seek adventure in some other place.
That you are round about me, I believe;
I hear you laughing as you used to do,
Yet loving all the things I think of you;
And knowing you are happy, should I grieve?
You follow and are watchful where I go.”

(Written by Marian Allen during World War l )

Two lines that I wish you to keep near your heart…….

“You seek adventure in some other place.
That you are round about me, I believe”


I did not know Ramon, but I am remembering
his service and sacrifice. He is my hero. !

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

The Other Side

i'm over on the other side
where life and death softly divide.
left my skin and bones behind
now i'm over on the other side.

can you feel me there with you?
my breath is gone but i'm not through.
loved you then and i still do
from over on the other side.

i can fly. really fly.
below the earth ... all through the sky.
tell em all i did not die.
i'm just over on the other side.

it's good here on the other side.
the sweetest songs...the bluest skies.
thank you for the tears you cried
but it's good here on the other side.

i can fly. really fly. below the earth...all through the sky.
tell em all i did not die.
i'm just over on the other side

the world is smaller than a needle's eye.
where life and death softly divide.
when you leave your skin and bones behind
i'll be waiting on the other side.

i can fly. really fly. below the earth ... all through the sky.
go tell em all i did not die.
i'm just over on the other side.

Song lyrics by Don Conoscenti
C Desert Muse/SESAC
www.donconoscenti.com
(Used with permission)

“I hope it brings great comfort to any and all.
Peace on you. DonCon” 4-2008


The Other Side –
(To hear the song)
http://tinyurl.com/3o8gol



Sincerely,

Deb Estep ~ Twinsburg, Ohio
Proud Air Force Mom SSgt Vince – Lackland AFB
Proud Air Force MIL SrA Dana – Randolph AFB

Remembering The Fallen – Blog
http://tinyurl.com/3z8p55

Angel and soldier drawing I have shared here.
http://tinyurl.com/6gey8b

To the family of Maj. Ramon J. Mendoza:
Ramon gave the ultimate sacrifice and will be held in the hearts of Americans forever. I cannot and will not let our fallen heroes be forgotten. My deepest sympathy to you. "Some gave all."
Peggy Childers
"Don't Let The Memory Of Them Drift Away"
www.IraqWarHeroes.org

There is nothing that I can say or do to take away the pain, so I will not pretend that I know what to say or do that would bring you peace in your time of sorrow, but I will offer my heart felt condolences. I also offer you my prayers that in time the pain will easy and the memories of your HERO will carry you through each day and night. I want to thank your HERO, for his/her selfless act of becoming a member of the armed forces, his/her willingness to defend the United States of America, all that we hold sacred and for the sacrifice that will forever be etched in the memories of all those who knew him/her. Though tears can never bring him/her back, we hope that our tears express our gratitude for the sacrifice that he/she made and our sorrow at his/her passing. I believe for every fallen HERO there is a star shining brightly up above to remind us of the precious gift we were given.

Your mission on earth is complete and you are now a member of GOD’s Heavenly armed forces. Stand down brave warrior and take your rightful place in Heaven with all the HEROES who have passed before.

I made a special promise to LE RON A. WILSON (KIA on 07/06/07) on the day he was laid to rest as I touched his coffin, that I would never forget him nor would I forget those that gave their lives for our country before him, with him and after him and so when I came across www.legacy.com, I thought what a great way to keep my promise to Le Ron, so I will continue to leave tributes in each guest book until the day there is no longer the need to leave these tributes to a FALLEN HERO.

REST IN PEACE, HERO, YOU WILL NEVER BE FORGOTTEN!!

PROUD MOTHER OF A U.S. SOLDIER
Althea Barrett(Queens, NY)

In remembrance of Maj. Ramon J. Mendoza, on this first anniversary of the day he gave his life for our Country and for Freedom.
May Ramon, rest safely in the Loving Care of God and know that he is a True American hero, that shall NEVER BE FORGOTTEN.
I Pray that God's Loving Grace and Comfort will continue to be with the Mendoza family.
There will never be enough ways, to humbly thank these Heroes, for their Supreme Sacrifice,
My brother among them. KIA-Vietnam 1967.

May you find peace in knowing the love and memories you have of Ramon, will remain in your heart forever.
I am deeply sorry for your loss.

MAY GOD BLESS YOU AND YOURS. I HAVE JUST LEARNED OF YOUR GREAT LOSS AND WISH TO EXPRESS MY DEEPEST CONDOLENCES. PLEASE KNOW THAT THERE ARE PEOPLE OUT HERE WHO DO CARE AND YOUR HERO WILL NEVER BE FORGOTTEN. HOLD TIGHT TO YOUR TREASURED MEMORIES THAT HIS SPECIAL SMILE MAY CONTINUE TO SHINE ON FOR THE LITTLE ONES. I PRAY THAT PEACE WILL FIND YOU ALL SOMEDAY. STAY STRONG AND GODSPEED. SEMPER FI



A MARINE MOM

My heartfelt sympathy to the Mendoza family in the loss of Ramon. I did not know Ramon, but my heart is broken and I am saddened for your loss of such a fine young person and hero. May God bring you peace in your heart as you reflect on all the wonderful memories you hold so close. Please know that you are in my heart and prayers.

I send each of you a hug from the most inner part of my heart.

Love and Peace

Tom



To live in the hearts

of those you leave behind

is never to die"

~Robert Orr~

I had the honor of meeting Raymond when he attended Wilkes University, He was a great friend, motivator & man. He was able push you to limits you never thought were possible. I know that God will bless and keep you all, and that Raymond will smile down upon you always.

To Ray's family and friends-

My family and I are praying for you and your family during this difficult time. We send our deepest empathy as we lost our Marine on 11/30/05 in Fallujah. We are comforted to know that our Marines are serving their country with such honor and bravery. We are so proud of our Marines and all of our other service men and women for all that they have done and continue to do to keep us safe and to give us the freedom we have that so many take for granted.

They are true Heroes and need to always be remembered for their selflessness and sacrifice to better our world. We will forever be united in the loss of our heros. We are so sorry for your loss and hope our words will ease some of the pain, and maybe fill some of your emptiness.

Yesterday, Today, Forever – Semper Fi - Marines!

Our sincerest gratitude for their bravery-

The family of Cpl. William "Billy" Taylor

2/6 WPNS

KIA outside of Fallujah 11/30/05

We would like to express our deepest sympathy for your loss. I talked with Major Mendoza just before he left for Iraq. He was my sons(Travis West)Commander. I could tell from our talk that he was a good man and leader. My son told me he was a firm, but a fair man. Travis said he will be missed and will always be remembered.My family grieves for all the FINE Marines that did not make it home. God Bless All

Karen, Alek & Kiana,



Kirsten and I wanted to let you know that we are continuing to pray for you. Your whole family made such an impression on us in just a short time. We respected you so much for the way we saw you raising your family.



We both loved Ray's great personality and positive outlook. We'll never forget Ray finding us after I finally came in at the Marine Corps Marathon. I was too exhausted to stand, but Ray was exuberant and congratulatory (he finished way before me). He was snapping pictures and almost hopping up and down with excitement and energy---all after having just run 26 miles. He had that great energy to pick you up, both physically and mentally.



I pray that God lifts you up during this time.



Dave & Kirsten Sadlier

Erica, Grady, Liam, Jenna

Maj(i knew him as Capt) Mendoza was the most motovated CO i've met. Serving under him was a great honor. He will be missed.

Karen, Alek and Kiana,

My deepest sympathies. We were all blessed to have the experience of knowing Ray, he will forever be remembered and you will always be in ours prays. God Bless you all.



Sean P. Hearon

Karen, I don't even know where or how to begin to express to you how saddened I was when I heard the news. There are no words that seem appropriate. I can only say that I am so very sorry for your loss. Even though our busy lives had led us in different directions since college, I still thought of you often. I am glad I have those memories of you and Ray in that time of our lives. I will treasure them always. So please know that you are in my thoughts and in my prayers.

Dear Major Mendoza's family:

We send our deepest condolence for the loss of Major Mendoza. We did not know him personally, but Major

Mendoza came to visit his special friend, Capt. Griffin, in Iraq last year while our son served under Capt. Griffin. He is a great hero not only for this country and Iraq, but also for the people who believe in democracy around the world. Thank you for your ultimate sacrifice. We send you our prayers, gratitude and love. Semper Fi!

Karen, words can not express the sadness that I feel for youre loss, I can only try to give you comfort in this difficult time , may you find some comfort in the memories that you shared together.

kv weapons company 2004

Integrity and Honor at Ohio State University is what Ramon expressed beyond his skills on the mat.

God's Blessings and comfort upon those who will miss him.

To the Mendoza Family: We send our deepest condolences. May God give you strength through this difficult time as we too grieve the loss of our son, LCpl Christopher McCrackin. May God bless you.

Semper Fi

The McCrackin Family

Karen-



Words can not express how deaply saddened we all are at the loss of Ray. I won't pretend to know what you are going through, but I will try to be a good friend to you and the kids. You have always been an inspiration to me and I hope our friendship will continue for many years. Eric will share Ray's spirit and motivation with the new recruits he trains and told me that he will always strive to live up to his example of a great Marine. Ray will live in our hearts forever.



May God carry you, Kiana & Alek in his arms through this difficult time.



Love and Friendship,

Angela

Major Mendoza was truly an inspiration to his marines and sailors. I know my husband spoke very highly of him. He was admired and loved by all. Karen, you have been an inspiration and a great help to all us wives. I know words cannot ease your heartache but we are here for you. You have been our angel amidst all our troubles and we want to be there for you as you have for us. You and your family are always in our prayers.



Respectfully,

Stephanie Baldonado

USN/AD

and Navy Corpsman wife

Karen and kids: May God Bless you and provide each of you with the strength and resilience to continue on.



Karen: Kim, Ryan, Sarah, and I realize that there is so much that each of you feels now that we could only pretend that we understand. So, I would like to just offer that we dearly admired Ray for the gentleman that he was, for the marvelous human being that he exemplified, and, mostly, for his truly selfless actions and leadership as a Marine. I feel proud to have served with Big Ray, and, I assure you that his sterling example is everlasting in my heart.



Ray: Thank you! I miss you buddy. Please continue to watch over the Marines from above for us. See you again someday. Semper Fidelis, my brother.



Very respectfully,

Captain and Mrs. Thomas Gilley

Camp LeJeune, NC 28546

We are so sorry to hear of the death of Ramon, another beautiful soul. Our families go back to BEFORE Ramon was born. We were/are friends of his father, Ramon Sr and knew Ramon Jr when he was just a toddler in Pleasantville, N.J. Our deepest sympathy to his wife, children, father, grandmother, siblings and all who knew him as the kind person he was. GOD BLESS YOU ALL

DOOZIE, sorry for your lost, Shipper was a very special person, He was a very proud Marine. You and the entire family should be very proud. Abuella, I kept my promise to you.

Maj. Mendoza was part of this crew for the first three months of our Western Pacific Deployment. We dropped them off in Kuwait, knowing they (13th MEU), would be going in harms way and all might not come back. Maj. Ramon "Ray" Mendoza was a fine officer and is missed by the entire crew of the USS TARAWA. We will soon be picking up the rest of his comrades and transporting them back to Camp Pendleton. Their will be much sadness in our hearts and theirs, for the Marines that will not ride back home with us.

JOC(SW/AW) Gabe Puello

USS TARAWA LHA-1

Public Affairs

Deepest Sympathy and Love to Karen, Kiana, and Alek,....



This Guest Book is proof.... Everyone that Ray touched was blessed.



Wish I could have seen you again Ray, especially since I live so close to Oceanside now..... I'm sad about that... I'll see you again someday, and I'll try to take the things you taught me.... and really apply them to my life. Love and Respect

Marty

Karen, May God Bless and be with your family at this difficult time. You are in our thoughts and prayers.



You have gotten many marine wives through very difficult times. You have a special place in our hearts. It is our turn to open our arms to you.



With Much Love,

Jennifer Neal and

Sgt. Matthew Neal

Karen Words cannot express my sorrow for your loss. just want to express my deepest sympathies during this time. Ray was a great man and Marine who will be missed by everyone who knew him.



My heart goes out to your family and I know there are no words that can be said to ease your broken hearts, but I wanted you to know I was thinking of you and praying that the memories you have of will keep you comforted in this time of sorrow.

Major Mendoza You are one of the most professional and dedicated Marines I have ever met. Right now it’s a difficult time because we are all better people for having known you. You made an impact on everyone you met and it’s one I will never forget.



There are no words to express my overwhelming sadness for your loss.



Semper Fidelies Major Raymond Mendoza the corps wont be the same without you. Rest in peace at your last post.



Hm2(FMF)Thomas Riggs,

Diane&Makenzie Riggs

I didn't know Maj. Mendoza at all. Our company adopted their troop and had been working with Maj. Mendoza wonderful wife, Karen. We know his troops will have a wonderful Christmas because of Maj. Mendoza and his wife. Our sympathys to you and your family.

I "ran into" Ray at TBS exiting my room. He was the "Big" Guy right across the hallway. TBS was difficult at times, but Ray made it seem all so easily, I guess the grunt life fitted him well!

I again "ran" into him as a Captain getting ready for yet another deployment, he was all exciting about it, except for leaving his family..

He was the whole package. Always with a smile and never a mean word about anything/anyone; a family man, the most important part of his life was his wife and kids; and last he was a Marines' Marine! He will definitely be missed by everyone: Marines and civilians alike!! SEMPER FI Major Ramon Mendoza!

To his family, My Deepest sympathies and condolences. He made the greatest sacrifice of all, and will always be remember!

Maj Mimi Cottrell

Our deepest condolences to the Mendoza Family. Our prayers are with your family, God Bless!



Julia Luna(Ssgt.Luna's wife- 13TH MEU)

I met Maj. (then Capt.) Mendoza the day he and Maj. (then Capt.) Zembiec checked into the battalion. He was a great man, a good officer, and a true leader of Marines. I asissted in the carrying of the cross up Microwave hill and when I can return to Camp Pendleton from my present duty station in IL, I will make the trek yet again in his honor. No matter the time of day or night. Semper Fi Sir and god bless.

My deepest condolences to you and your family. Maj. Mendoza was my brother's Commanding Officer. He spoke highly of him and said he was always looking out for them. His sacrifice for this country will live on through his family. God Bless

Angie Lewis

Sister of Cpl. Haskell RD

Deepest sympathies and condolences to the Mendoza Family. A wonderful man and amazing Marine. You are in my prayers.

Semper Fidelis,

Captain Luke Holian, USMC

26 MEU

CG4 Alumni

My husband and I met Ramon when he was a post graduate student at Blair Academy, where Bob and I were then teaching. The moment Ray stepped off the bus to come to school was a moment we often remember. He was Zeus-like in stature and kind in person. From the first moment to his last day at Blair, Ray reminded us why we teach. His earnestness, effort, dedication, kindness, good sportsmanship and joy in life touched us in ways which will never be forgotten. I cried when I got the news this week and I cry now as I write. My only solace is that Ray knew what he was doing, he believed in his mission, and he chose to do it.

My tears flow for Ray's wife and children. May they know that we will support them in the years to come.

With much sadness,

Patricia and Bob Latessa

I am trying to cope with this loss of Maj. Mendoza, I had the luxury/pleasure of serving with him as he was the Commanding Officer of H&S 2/1 during OIF 2.



I remember him not only as a great Infantry leader who wanted to fight a War he belived in... but as a person you could look up to and respect as a mentor/leader.



He had the respect of all his enlisted Marines, because he was the type of person to give you a quick spot at the gym, a pat on the back and a loud OOHRAH! as you walked by rather than a salute, and just how happy and proud he was to have the title US Marine.



I felt his warm embrace and saw how humble he was as he handed my son Andrew and I a present & food at a military holiday christmas drive.



He loved Ohio State College football, always smiled, and was very positive, try out pressing him at the gym or beating him on a run-he was in that good of shape....



But above all else he gave the Marines in his company underneath him hope and pride in what they were doing and never made us loose tract of how imporant we were...

He would also never ever stop bragging about his family and how he loved his wife He was always grateful he was to be in a position to lead Marines in Combat with a loving family that was waiting for him back at home.



It saddens me tremendously to loose such a good Marine Officer, Family member, and all around good person.



I will ensure his legacy lives on and that my children hear the story of Maj Ramon Mendoza to ensure he is not forgotten.



My heart goes out to all his loved ones and I hope that they may find the strength and courage to deal with this tremendous tragedy and to know that he was a "Man and a Marine" that will never be forgotten by his band of brothers.

2/1-"THE PROFESSIONALS"

SEMPER FIDELIS

God Bless( Jamie,Navy wife)

I am hit hard by this news, the third Marine I knew in the past two weeks to fall in Iraq. I knew Maj Mendoza as Capt Mendoza when he was HQ company commander in fallujah with 2/1. The man was a Model Marine, physical fit, very dedicated to his work and good at motivating us. He was always asking how we were doing and what was going on at home with us, always looking out for us, taking care of us. I can say without reservation that he was one of the finest officers I served under, and an excellent company commander. I can hardly believe he is gone.

Darrell Carter

2/1 H&S 2001-2005

Another Fallen Hero ---- I know how you feel and what you are experiencing. My deepest condolences and prayers go out to your entire family.



Ramon - I’m thankful for the Service, Courage, Bravery and Determinination to fight for our country, our freedom from you, my son and all the other men & women in our armed forces. You all will not be forgotten. Thank you.



Yesterday, Today, Forever – Semper Fi - Marines!



Very Proud Marine Mom

(Lance Cpl. Nicholas S. Perez – KIA 9-3-04 – Al Anbar Province, Iraq)