Cesar O. Baez, Navy Petty Officer -- Rest In Peace

Cesar O. Baez, 37

Navy, Petty Officer 2nd Class
Based: Camp Pendleton
Assigned to 2nd Marine Division, II Marine Expeditionary Force (Forward)
Supporting: Operation Iraqi Freedom
Died: June 15, 2005
Ramadi (near), Iraq
Married, 4 children
Gender: Male
Hometown: Pomona
High School: Garey Senior High (Pomona)

Growing up in Pomona, Baez was a mischievous boy who played practical jokes on his family and loved chasing after his siblings in their backyard, which they called the "jungle" because of its numerous guava and banana trees.
The eldest of seven children, Baez took pride in his big brother role and faithfully looked out for his family. A sketch that Baez submitted to a magazine contest won the youth four tickets to Disneyland -- but not enough for his entire family, his mother said.
"He told [the magazine] if his whole family can't go, then he didn't want to go, so finally they gave us nine tickets," she said. "It was nice. I think it's the only time we ever went as a family."

Cesar O. Baez:
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