'He set an example every day': Body of fallen soldier returns home to Joliet
Army Staff Sgt. Jose Duenez Jr. was one of four service members who died in Lithuania following a training mission last month.
Community members—overseas and here at home—are now paying tribute to the young soldiers.
What we know
Duenez was assigned to the 3rd Infantry Division out of Fort Stewart in Georgia.
The Joliet native deployed to Poland in 2021 and Germany in 2022. Most recently, he was serving in Lithuania as a member of the 1st Armored Brigade Combat Team.
Duenez and three other U.S. soldiers went missing on March 25 while conducting a recovery mission to repair and tow an immobilized tactical vehicle. At the time, they were operating an M88A2 Hercules.
Days later, their bodies were discovered inside their sunken armored vehicle, which was located in a peat bog near Pabradė, Lithuania.
"Sgt. Jose Duenez will always hold a special place in our hearts. As both a leader and a Soldier, he set an example every day—always the first to arrive and the last to leave, greeting every challenge with a smile and a readiness to support anyone who required assistance," said Capt. Madyson K. Wellens, Diesel Forward Support Troop commander, 5th Sqn., 7th Cav. Regt. "He was the definition of a silent professional."
Along with Duenez, the deceased soldiers have been identified as Sgt. Edvin F. Franco, 25, of Glendale, California; Pfc. Dante D. Taitano, 21, of Dededo, Guam; and Staff Sgt. Troy S. Knutson-Collins, 28, of Battle Creek, Michigan.
"This loss is simply devastating," said Maj. Gen. Christopher Norrie of the 3rd Infantry Division in a press release. "These men were honored Soldiers of the Marne Division. We are wrapping our arms around the families and loved ones of our Soldiers during incredibly difficult time."
In their honor, thousands of people recently lined the streets of Lithuania's capital city, Vilnius, as their bodies were transported to the airport to be flown back to the United States.
Here at home, Gov. JB Pritzker has ordered all entities covered by the Illinois Flag Display Act to fly flags at half-staff in honor and remembrance of Duenez until sunset on Thursday, April 17.
Joliet Mayor Terry D'Arcy is encouraging all residents to take part, too.
"Joliet is a small, big town, and when one family grieves, we all grieve," D'Arcy said. "He was a son, he was a brother, he was a husband, he was a father, and he was a soldier."
Around 4:30 p.m. Tuesday, Duenez's body arrived at Lewis University Airport in Romeoville, where his family was waiting on the airfield. His American flag-draped casket was surrounded by loved ones before it was transferred to a hearse.
Led by local police officers, a procession then carried his body Tezak's Funeral Home to Celebrate Life in Joliet.
Community members holding American flags stood across from the airfield to show their support.
"Heartache, a lot of heartache," said Dolores Garcia, community member. "It's our soldier, he's from our country."
"We all worry about these young kids," said Silvia Gaona-Padilla, another community member who shares that her son is the same age as Duenez. "Most of them, they all know each other because they play against each other or go to the same high school or grammar school, so they all get to know each other somehow along the way."
Duenez would have turned 26 years old on April 8.
He served in the U.S. Army for more than seven years and was most recently an M1 Abrams Tank System Maintainer.
He is one of six siblings and also leaves behind his parents, his wife and their young son.
What's next
Duenez's visitation will be held from 4 to 8 p.m. on Thursday at Tezak's Funeral Home, located at 1211 Plainfield Road in Joliet.
His funeral service will be held at 11 a.m. on Friday at Word of Life Church, located at 1500 Cedarwood Drive in Crest Hill. There will be brief visitation preceding the service, beginning at 10 a.m.
The Source
FOX 32's Kasey Chronis reported on this story.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
New York Post
a minute ago
- New York Post
How Hamas turned kids into terrorists with TV show featuring jihadi mouse, bloodthirsty bunny
American kids may have grown up with Mr. Rogers telling them, 'You are special just the way you are,' but for a child in Gaza there was Farfour—a plushy, genocidal TV mouse screaming 'Kill! Kill! Kill!' Farfour, a costumed Mickey Mouse knockoff, was co-host of a kid's program called 'Tomorrow's Pioneers' which aired on Hamas-affiliated television station Al-Aqsa TV from April 2007 to October 2009. For anyone wondering how the ideologically-crazed fanatical fighters of Hamas came to be, the show offers some answers. 15 Farfour, a homicidal Mickey Mouse ripoff who advocated martyrdom and Islamic world domination, was murdered on air by IDF soldiers in a skit. YouTube 15 Criminologists have identified the tactic of using 'the deviant peer' to recruit children into abusive situations. YouTube Billed as educational programming to teach Islamic values to schoolchildren — much like a 'Sesame Street' or 'Barney & Friends' for the Middle East — 'Tomorrow's Pioneers' was a colorful, sing-song blood orgy celebrating Jew hatred and martyrdom. The kids who grew up watching it are now fighting age men — like those who carried out the October 7 massacre of nearly 1,200 Israelis and abducted 251 hostages. On the show, Farfour promised the kids of Gaza that together they'd oversee Islamic world domination and liberate Jerusalem from the 'murderers.' He mimicked grenade-throwing and shooting an AK-47. 15 Nahoul, a killer bee, preached to the school kids: 'We will liberate Al-Aqsa from the filth of the criminal Jews,' referring to the fictional town where the characters lived. YouTube 15 Co-host Saraa Barhoum chats with Assoud the bunny, who promises kids, 'I will finish off the Jews and eat them.' YouTube Mia Bloom, professor of communication and Middle East studies at Georgia State University, remembers 'Tomorrow's Pioneers' well from her research into terror tactics. 'It's a constant stream of horrific propaganda that is almost impossible for a child to break out of. And so the kids grow up thinking that every Israeli should be killed because every Israeli is bad and evil,' she told the Post. The show's co-host, Gaza child star Saraa Barhoum — around ten years old when the show first aired and the daughter of a university professor mother and a Hamas spokesman father — said in a 2007 interview she wanted to be either a doctor or a martyr when she grew up. 15 11-year-old co-host Saraa Barhoum, who said she wished to be a doctor or a martyr when she grew up, stands outside the Al-Aqsa studio headquarters with producer Hazem Sharawi in 2007. Tribune News Service via Getty Images 15 Mia Bloom, a terrorism tactics researcher, says traumatizing children is a means of abusive control. Courtesy of Mia Bloom She also launched a singing career, recording pop songs with lyrics like, 'raise your sail for the sailors, and let your lighthouse illuminate the sea of blood.' 'There's a concept in criminology called a deviant peer. If I'm a recruiter—if I'm trying to get kids—I'm not going to use a 75-year-old man. I'm going to use a cool kid who's maybe a few years older,' Bloom says. 'Unfortunately, it's a common thing that happens within the child abuse space.' Disney, notorious for swooping in on copyright infringement, was aware of Farfour's Mickey Mouse likeness but chose to remain silent. They didn't have to for long: the network murdered Farfour on air during the first season. In the scene, the terror Mouse is being interrogated by IDF soldiers who beat him to death after he refuses to hand over documents. '[Hamas's] argument would be: 'These kids are already traumatized — this kid doesn't have a house, lost a sibling — the trauma is already there and the trauma is all around them.' 15 'This kind of layered trauma that you're deliberately exposing young Palestinian children to was not just a form of child abuse, but a long-term manipulation,' Middle East expert Bloom says. YouTube 15 The messages of 'Tomorrow's Pioneers' were reinforced relentlessly in Gaza society, through textbooks, news programs, and magazines. YouTube 15 Western children's shows like 'Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood' emphasize teaching tolerance and understanding, while children in 2000s Gaza were taught that Jews are descended from pigs. John Beale 'By traumatizing the children through the 'Pioneers' show, Hamas basically controlled the narrative and they could direct the trauma, instead of having this vague generalized trauma across society,' Bloom, author of the book 'Small Arms: Children and Terrorism' said. On the show, Farfour was replaced by a bloodthirsty bumblebee with a squeaky voice named Nahoul, who preached to the kiddos: 'We will liberate Al-Aqsa from the filth of the criminal Jews,' referring to the fictional town where the characters lived, and 'revenge upon the enemies of God, the murderers of the prophets.' In season two, Nahoul gets sick. The Israeli authorities won't issue him a travel permit to receive medical treatment in Egypt and he dies. Nahoul is replaced by his rabbit brother, Assoud, a mangy Bugs Bunny knockoff, who tells the tykes at home in one episode: 'A rabbit is a term for a bad person and coward. And I, Assoud, will finish off the Jews and eat them.' In another episode Assoud is tempted by Satan to steal money from his father and sentenced to have his hand cut off, 'as the Prophet Mohammed commanded.' Assoud later dies in an Israeli strike and is replaced by a bear. 15 In one episode, Palestinian children joined in for a sing along in-studio welcoming their own death. YouTube 15 Farfour was the first 'Tomorrow's Pioneers' co-host to be murdered on air. Each of his replacements were killed on screen by Israelis. YouTube 15 A still from Tomorrow's Pioneers showing Assoud the bunny and his young co-host. IMDb In another episode, children were invited into the studio to tell the hosts of their wish to die as martyrs, and then sing a song about it. 'This kind of layered trauma that you're deliberately exposing young Palestinian children to was not just a form of child abuse, but a long-term manipulation,' Bloom says. 'It relates to October 7th. To have those resources and instead of making things better, you've just made things so much worse.' 15 Farfour the jihadi mouse told Hamas children 'We will liberate Al-Aqsa,' referring to the mosque in Jerusalem. YouTube 15 On Oct. 7, 2003 roughly 3,000 Hamas terrorists attacked various points in Israel, killing 1,200 civilians. Many would have grown up watching 'Tomorrow's Pioneers.' 15 Bloom, author of the book 'Small Arms' compares Hamas' afterschool program to ISIS requiring children to attend public beheadings. 'It's a constant stream of horrific propaganda.' While little information is publicly known about the estimated 3,000 Hamas fighters who conducted the Oct. 7 slaughter, ages 16-35 are considered 'fighting age' for men—meaning many of those combatants grew up watching their favorite plushy woodland creatures get executed by Jews on afterschool television. 'It's not just the 'Pioneers' TV show. It was amplified and reinforced by the textbooks that the children would read in school that demonized Jews and basically referred to Jews as apes and pigs and other dirty animals,' Bloom says. A 2008 analysis of Palestinian schoolbooks found a passage comparing Jews to 'invading snakes.' In popular media, a late 1990s Palestinian magazine article explained that Jews are the actual sons of apes and, due to the shame felt by this, the 'Jewish ape Darwin' invented the theory of evolution and applied it to all humans. Bloom, who has studied genocide, extremist movements, and child soldiers across the world, says it reminds her of the Taliban and ISIS—both of whom held public beheadings and required children of the community to attend. 'It's not exactly the same because killing Farfour was fake. But it's this idea of exposing children to obscene levels of violence. And it creates a preparedness to justify violence and to choose violence over other options.'
Fox News
25 minutes ago
- Fox News
'Barbaric criminals': ICE removes slew of Southeast Asian nationals convicted of serious crimes
FIRST ON FOX: Several Laotian illegal immigrants convicted of serious crimes were deported back to the Southeast Asian country on Monday, the Department of Homeland Security announced. Each of the 12 already had orders of removal placed on them by a federal immigration judge, including some dating back to 2003. "Obstructing a murder investigation, child sex crimes, and drug trafficking: These were just a few of the crimes these heinous illegal aliens committed in our country. Now—thanks to the brave men and women of ICE law enforcement—these barbaric criminals are OUT of our country and can no longer prey on American citizens," DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin said in a statement. "Under President Trump and Secretary Noem, America is no longer a safe haven for the world's criminals. Despite a historic number of injunctions from activist judges, ICE continues to remove criminal illegal aliens from America's streets," McLaughlin added. Sai Vang, 39, was convicted of "aiding and obstructing an investigation of first-degree murder" and is a gang member. Sokhorn Ngem, 56, was convicted of "first-degree criminal sexual conduct" and "distributing sexually explicit material to a minor." Lue Kong, 43, is convicted of "first-degree criminal sexual conduct" with a child under 13 years old. Seng Kghang, 8, is convicted of "third-degree criminal sexual conduct" with a child between the ages of 13 to 15. Wa Kong Lor, 33, was convicted for "breaking and entering" a vehicle in order to steal, as well as weapon and drug offenses. Su Yang, 47, was convicted of robbery in Toledo, Ohio. Fue Yang, 45, was convicted of "second-degree home invasion," "breaking and entering a vehicle to steal property," illegally "driving away" in a vehicle, and hiding stolen items he obtained. Meanwhile, Soun Vongrasamy, 64, was convicted on cocaine-related offenses. Bounthavy Phenglavanh, 45, was convicted for the delivery or manufacturing of ecstasy. Pang Ngia Hang, 54, was convicted on bank fraud charges. Sengaroun Phenglavanh, 47, was convicted on multiple drug and firearm offenses. Phouvanh Manivong, 51, was convicted on "felony attempted larceny and felony grand larceny" charges. The Trump administration is continuing to tout the arrests and subsequent deportations of those with criminal convictions and charges. Meanwhile, DHS has been encouraging self-deportations by offering $1,000 and free travel outside of the U.S. for illegal immigrants without additional criminal backgrounds for a chance to possibly come back to the country legally.
Yahoo
44 minutes ago
- Yahoo
U.S. Sanctions CJNG Cartel For $300M Timeshare Fraud Targeting Seniors
On Wednesday, the U.S. Treasury Department sanctioned four Mexican individuals and 13 companies linked to timeshare fraud schemes run by the Cartel de Jalisco Nueva Generacion (CJNG). The action targets operations based in Puerto Vallarta that prey on elderly Americans. CJNG, designated as a Foreign Terrorist Organization, has expanded beyond drug trafficking to generate revenue through elaborate timeshare scams that have cost U.S. victims nearly $300 million since 2019. 'We are coming for terrorist drug cartels like Cartel de Jalisco Nueva Generacion that are flooding our country with fentanyl,' said Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent. 'These cartels continue to create new ways to generate revenue to fuel their terrorist operations. At President Trump's direction, we will continue our effort to completely eradicate the cartels' ability to generate revenue, including their efforts to prey on elderly Americans through timeshare fraud.' The scams follow a devastating pattern. Cartel-run call centers obtain timeshare owner information from resort insiders, then contact victims claiming to be brokers or attorneys. They promise to sell timeshares or secure rental income but demand upfront 'fees' and 'taxes' that victims wire to Mexican bank accounts. The promised money supposedly owed to the owners never materializes, yet victims are pressed for additional payments. Some schemes stretch for years. Re-victimization scams follow, with fraudsters impersonating law firms offering to recover losses or government officials threatening imprisonment without payment of 'fines.' The FBI received nearly 900 timeshare fraud complaints in 2024 alone, reporting losses exceeding $50 million. Officials believe actual losses are far higher since most victims don't report due to embarrassment, among other reasons. CJNG seized control of Puerto Vallarta's timeshare fraud operations around 2012. The cartel employs English-fluent telemarketers and accountants to execute complex schemes targeting older Americans' life savings. Three senior CJNG members lead the fraud operations: Julio Cesar Montero Pinzon, Carlos Andres Rivera Varela, and Francisco Javier Gudino Haro. These men also orchestrate assassinations for the cartel's enforcement group using military-grade weapons. Michael Ibarra Diaz Jr., a Puerto Vallarta businessman with 20 years in the timeshare industry, was also sanctioned. His network includes 13 companies spanning real estate, travel agencies, tour operators, and accounting firms. Five companies explicitly acknowledge timeshare involvement: Akali Realtors, Centro Mediador De La Costa, Corporativo Integral De La Costa, Corporativo Costa Norte, and Sunmex Travel. Others mask their activities behind tourism and real estate fronts. The Treasury's action freezes all U.S. property belonging to the designated individuals and companies. American citizens are prohibited from conducting transactions with them. Financial institutions risk secondary sanctions for knowingly facilitating transactions with the sanctioned parties. The Treasury can prohibit foreign banks from maintaining U.S. correspondent accounts if they assist designated persons. This marks the Treasury's fifth action against CJNG timeshare fraud, bringing total designations to over 70 individuals and entities. Previous sanctions occurred in March 2023, April 2023, November 2023, and July 2024. CJNG ranks among the world's most powerful cartels. The group attacks Mexican military and police with military weapons, drops explosives from drones, and executes defiant recruits. Beyond drug trafficking, CJNG generates revenue through fuel theft, extortion, and human smuggling. Treasury continues targeting these diverse income streams alongside the FBI, DEA, and Mexican financial intelligence partners. Officials urge timeshare owners to exercise caution. Unsolicited purchase offers that seem too good to be true probably are fraudulent attempts to steal money. Victims should file complaints at Elderly victims can call the National Elder Fraud Hotline at 833-FRAUD-11 for assistance and resources. Solve the daily Crossword
