Remains of Alton soldier will arrive Tuesday

MISSION — The remains of the slain Alton soldier will arrive around noon Tuesday at the McAllen-Miller International Airport, and the Mission authorities invite the public to pay their respects to 26-year-old Staff Sgt. Bradley Espinoza on his way to the Rivera Funeral home.

“We invite the public to come out with their flags to Conway Avenue around noon,” said Mission Deputy City Manager Aida Lerma.

The Mission Police Department will escort the procession from the McCreery Aviation Co. hangar north on 10th Street, west on Expressway 83, and then north on Conway Avenue to the Rivera Funeral Home on 19th Street, said Mission Deputy Police Chief Martin Garza.

“The businesses in the past have brought out their flags and we want to do that again to pay their respects to the soldier,” Lerma said.

Sgt. Bradley Espinoza died Oct. 19 in Iraq after enemy forces attacked his vehicle with an improvised bomb.

The Mission High School graduate was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 12th Cavalry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division based in Fort Hood. He entered the U.S. Army in July 2002 as a combat engineer and has been stationed at Fort Hood since November 2002, according to a statement from Fort Hood.

Rivera Funeral Home’s Director Charlie De Leon, said they plan to have the funeral Thursday and the burial will be at the Rio Grande Valley State Veterans Cemetery in Mission, but will not have exact details of the funeral arrangements until this morning.

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Martha L. Hernández covers Mission, western Hidalgo County and general assignments for The Monitor. You can reach her at (956) 683-4846