Carlos Noe Saenz – First Sergeant, United States Army

NEWS RELEASES from the United States Department of Defense
No. 415-06 IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 9, 2006

DoD Identifies Army Casualties

The Department of Defense announced today the death of three soldiers who were supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom.  They died in Baghdad, Iraq on May 5, 2006, when an improvised explosive device detonated near their HMMWV during combat operations.

Killed were:
First Sergeant Carlos N. Saenz, 46, of Las Vegas, Nevada
Specialist Teodoro Torres, 29, of  Las Vegas, Nevada
Sergeant Nathan J. Vacho, 29, of Janesville, Wisconsin

Saenz and Torres were assigned to the Army Reserve’s 490th Civil Affairs Battalion, Abilene, Texas.  Vacho was assigned to the Army Reserve’s 489th Civil Affairs Battalion, Knoxville, Tenn.  During Operation Iraqi Freedom, all three were attached to the 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division.

It’s another reminder that the conflict in Iraq is far from over. Two Las Vegas soldiers were recently killed there. 46 year old First Sergeant Carlos Saenz and 29 year old Specialist Teodoro Torres were killed in Baghdad on Friday after an improvised explosive device blew up near their vehicle. Both were scheduled to come home this week.

Kids in Sergeant Saen’z neighborhood were very impressed and proud to have a soldier living in their neighborhood. So much so that some have decided to follow in his footsteps. Others in the neighborhood are also honoring him by displaying American flags in front of their homes, all for a man they now call a hero

Both Sergeant Saenz and Specialist Torres were assigned to the U.S. Army Reserve’s 490th Civil Affairs Battalion in Abilene, Texas. Sergeant Saenz leaves behind a wife and teenage son. His wife tells us that per his wishes he will be buried at Arlington National Cemetery sometime next week.

Torres recently moved to Las Vegas. He is originally from the Rochester, New York area. Before he was deployed, Torres was working for a helicopter company in Las Vegas.

Michael Robert Patterson

Michael Robert Patterson was born in Arlington and is the son of a former officer of the US Army. So it was no wonder that sooner or later his interests drew him to American history and especially to American military history. Many of his articles can be found on renowned portals like the New York Times, Washingtonpost or Wikipedia.

Reviewed by: Michael Howard