Williams mourns soldier killed in Afghanistan

Williams is mourning the loss of one of its sons.

U.S. Army Specialist Rueben Lopez, 27, was killed Thursday while on patrol in Afghanistan.

Lopez was one of five soldiers killed when a roadside bomb exploded in the southern part of the country. He was the eighth soldier killed in two days.

"He wanted to go (to Afghanistan)," said Monica Palmer, Lopez's sister. "He knew our mother was fearful, but he wanted to serve his country, just as our family has done."

His grandfather, Alex Estrada of Colusa, served in the Korean War. His sister, Kelly Lopez, is on active duty with the U.S. Army at Fort Lewis, in Washington state.

Kelly Lopez will meet her brother's plane in Sacramento when he comes home Tuesday, with the red and white stripes of the American flag draped over his coffin and the blue union field covering his heart.

The Williams Police Department will escort the procession when Lopez is first transported through Williams and then taken to McNary-Moore Funeral Service in Colusa until burial.

Family and friends of Lopez began to gather in Williams Town Square early on Friday, many leaving flowers and balloons to remember the boy Lopez was and the man he had become. "Rueben had a great smile and sense of humor," said Karen Ellison, whose sons went to school with Lopez. "He was such a character. I remember filming his class when he dressed up like Elvis and was singing just like him. He was wonderful."

Lopez, born May 9, 1984, is the son of Gloria and Reuben Lopez. His grandparents are Margaret Del Rio of Williams and Alex and Rita Estrada of Colusa. He has two other sisters, Leticia and Renee.

Since the day he was born, Lopez was special, his family said Friday, and even the spelling of his first name — a variation of his father's — set him apart from others.

He was also the only boy among his four sisters, which earned him the nickname "Boy" for life.

"He was the most caring and loving brother," Palmer said. "He always wanted to give something back to his community and his country."

Lopez enlisted in the Army on Aug. 10, 2010, and was killed one year and one day later.

He loved the Army, but was looking forward to returning from military service and serving as a correctional officer, Palmer said.

He had been upbeat and hopeful when the family had last spoken to him.

"He went there for a reason," said James Palmer, his brother-in-law. "He knew the risks, but he went there to serve his country. He went there for all of us."

Before his enlistment, Lopez was an active member of the Williams Neighborhood Church and graduated from Williams High School in 2002.

He was a great student and athlete, school officials said. He played football and baseball.

Williams Unified School District staff was among the first to learn of Lopez's death late Thursday and ordered the flags flown at half-staff on Friday.

Students and teachers remembered him in a moment of silence.

To them, America lost one of its finest in a war against terrorism.

"Remember a soldier is someone who, at one point in his life, wrote a blank check made payable to the USA for an amount up to and including his life," said Judith Rossi, superintendent of Williams Unified. "We are honored to have known him, taught him, and now, learn from him and his courage."

Lopez, who was stationed out of Fort Drum, N.Y., is the second Colusa County soldier killed in Operation Enduring Freedom.

Justin Casillas of Arbuckle died in combat in Afghanistan in July 2009.

Lopez's mother, in tears as she placed a photo of her son on a makeshift memorial in Williams Town Square, said she wanted people to remember "Boy" as the "beautiful person he was."