Friends, Family and colleagues from the 369th Adjutant General Battalion gathered together March 10 at the Anderson Street Chapel on post to say goodbye to Staff Sgt. Javier Nevarez.
Lt. Col. Joel Holmstrom, the 369th AG Bn. commander, said Nevarez "quickly stood out" when he first arrived at the unit.
"At the class end of cycle after action reviews Soldiers raved about what a great leader and mentor he was," Holmstrom said.
Nevarez, a Puerto Rican native, was born on Aug. 13, 1982 and joined the Army months prior to the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. He served in the 75th Ranger Regiment, 173rd Airborne Brigade, 82nd Airborne Division, XVIII Airborne Corps and in Korea before coming to Fort Jackson to join the 369th. Nevarez died Feb. 24.
His earlier career was "riddled with combat deployments" said his company commander, Capt. Ryan Mazor. These assignments helped him have "a gravitational pull that Soldiers were naturally drawn to and tried to emulate."
"Staff Sgt. Nevarez is a great example of a dedicated NCO," said Mazor.
"How can I express his amazing spirit of selfless generosity, uncompromising belief in all that is good and his steadfast commitment to Family and friends?" asked Staff Sgt. Yukon Brown, Nevarez's friend from Charlie Company, 369th AG Bn. "Even the very best of words cannot pay tribute or truly capture the sense of loss we all feel today."
"He was a humble man … a man who never lost sight in his vision, a man with strong faith …," Brown said holding back tears.
"If he was here today he would say, 'Don't cry at my grave, but make the best of life while we are still here,'" Brown concluded.
"We will all remember Staff Sgt. Nevarez in different ways, but all of us can remember him as a friend and teammate who was there for his Family, friends and country," Mazor said.
Nevarez is survived by his wife, Laura, and children Jaden, Alleysha and Eric.
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