Michael J. Garcia

A LIFE REMEMBERED

We speak the name.

Army Staff Sgt. Michael J. Garcia died July 4 in Logar province, Afghanistan, of wounds suffered when insurgents attacked his unit using an improvised explosive device. Friends, family mourn slain Polk soldier By Melody Brumble Shreveport (La.) Times Staff Sgt. Michael J. Garcia died doing what he loved, friends say. Garcia, 27, of Bossier City, died on Independence Day of injuries suffered during an attack on his unit in Afghanistan. He was less than a month away from his 28th birthday. He joined the Army after graduating from Bossier High School in 2001. &ldquoHe loved what he did, he absolutely loved what he did,&rdquo said his girlfriend, Shelby Martinez, who said he was &ldquothe happiest he ever was in his whole life deployed in Afghanistan.&rdquo Precise and methodical, he always arranged to have birthday and holiday presents sent to family and friends even while deployed, and even left instructions with one of his sisters as to what would need to be done if he died, Martinez said. &ldquoAny time I brought it up, he said &lsquoYou can&rsquot think about that,&rsquo &rdquo she said. Garcia worked in explosive ordnance disposal. He served with the 705th Explosive Ordnance Disposal Company, which supported the 2/4 Infantry Battalion&rsquos Task Force Warrior, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division, out of Fort Polk, La. &ldquoHis best friend, who did the same thing he did, was killed in February,&rdquo Martinez said. She said she asked him how he dealt with it. &ldquoHe was sad about a week, and angry and processed it and just lives with the happy memory of what they had, and that&rsquos what I&rsquom trying to do.&rdquo Neighbor Cassie Eguia attended Plantation Park Elementary, Rusheon Middle and Bossier High schools with Garcia. &ldquoYou always knew that he had your back, he was going to be there,&rdquo she said. &ldquoNo matter what you asked of him, he was going to do whatever he could do to make that happen. You never had to worry that he was going to judge you. He was there, no matter what.&rdquo Christine Geisler Thomas of Shreveport, who also knew Garcia since high school and has set a Facebook page in his honor, agreed. &ldquoHe was amazing,&rdquo Thomas said. &ldquoThere&rsquos no other way to describe Michael.&rdquo In everyday life, Garcia was &ldquoan all-around nice guy,&rdquo she said. &ldquoHe was handsome, he made you laugh. He knew how to make somebody&rsquos day. I keep thinking, &lsquoOf all the people, why him?&rsquo &rdquo Thomas said.