Local Family Reflects On Fallen Soldier

THE COLONY (CBS 11 News) ? She's outgoing, chatty and vivacious, but the words don't flow from the lips of Cynthia Garcia when it comes to talking about her son Adam. She leaves much of that to Joe, her husband and Adam's dad.

"This is still as fresh as ever. You know moms, they cry every day," says Mrs. Garcia.

Twenty-year-old Adan "Adam" Garcia was killed in Iraq by enemy gunfire on May 22, 2006. He died five days later.

The Garcias were one of nine families remembered Thursday evening by the Texas Fallen Soldiers Project in The Colony. It was a 9/11 tribute to North Texas families who lost sons and daughters during the war.

Joe Garcia says 9/11 had a special meaning to their son because the attacks on American soil inspired Adam to put aside his fascination with cars and movies.

"He felt something stir up inside of him. He felt the duty to do something about this travesty," says Mr. Garcia. "Seven years ago he was 16. That (the terrorist attacks) started everything. That kind of opened up his eyes."

It was Adam Garcia's senior year at Coppell High School. Within a year of the attacks, Adam went to an Army recruiter's office and later, the recruiter came to the Garcia home.

Originally he wanted to be an MP. He decided to become a Combat Engineer and Adam was deployed to Iraq in August of 2005. Joe and Cynthia Garcia say, once there, their son frequently talked about his sense of fulfillment. "He saw the big difference they were making. They were helping the Iraqi people."

In May of 2006, Adam and his unit came under fire while they were about a mile from their base just outside of Bagdad.

According to accounts from his superiors and other members of the group, "Adam jumped up to man his weapon to return fire. Somewhere in the process he was hit." The Garcia's say Adam did return fire and his fellow soldiers administered first aid. Adam was posthumously awarded the Bronze Star for protecting the Army vehicle in front of them.

"By all intents and purposes, he was in a gun fight," says Mr. Garcia.

The Garcia's say their son believed in his mission in Iraq. The last time they spoke to Adam was on Mother's Day, just days before he was shot. In a phone call he reiterated to his parents that he wanted to re-enlist. Eight days later he was shot.

Adam's sister, Danielle, was 12 at the time. Now she is 14 and a freshman at Coppell High School. Danielle is a member of the Silver Stars Drill Team and she sees many of the teachers who taught her brother. There is a memorial brick on the campus in Adam's name and when Danielle was asked if she'd rather attend another school, she refused.

"She loves it because she feels like she has a connection with him" at the campus, says Mr. Garcia.

As for today's remembrance of 9/11, the Garcia's recall how significant this date is in their own lives. "Not only is it a remembrance of what happened to the rest of the country, we have more of a personal connection because we know that this started everything."

The Garcias say they fully support the troops. "Adam certainly believed in what he was doing."