Texas loses a golfer, his brother

Army Spc. Andrew Velez, the second of two brothers to die during the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan, committed suicide, his family and military officials said recently, according to the Associated Press.

Velez, 22, died last month in Afghanistan, jus over one year after his brother, Cpl. Jose “Freddy” Velez, 23, was killed in Iraq. According to the military, they are the first brothers to die in the conflicts.

Andrew Velez graduated from Estacado High School in Lubbock, Texas, where he participated in multiple sports. According to his father, Roy Velez, Andrew also loved to play golf. Andrew Velez leaves behind a wife and three young children.

Freddy Velez joined the Army in 2000 after graduating from Estacado, where he was an honor student with dreams of becoming a doctor. He was deployed to Iraq in March 2003.

“I’m proud of my sons,” Roy Velez told the AP. “I miss them, but it was to defend their country, their God. They volunteered to go.”

Our thoughts go out to the entire Velez family, and other families dealing with the same type of grief.

–WKW