Nathaniel Doney clutched a photo of his friend, Sgt. Luis Reyes, during a funeral Saturday for Reyes at Fort Logan National Cemetery.
“He was my battle buddy,” Doney said. “He was ready to serve his country, his unit and his family.”
Reyes died Nov. 18 in Kuwait after a bus carrying him and nine other members of his unit, the 947th Engineer Company of the Colorado Army National Guard, crashed.
The nine soldiers who were with Reyes all suffered injuries. The group was traveling to the city of Ali Al Salem 39 miles south of Iraq, where their mission was to help rebuild Iraqi roads and infrastructure.
Spec. Doney did not make the trip to the Middle East with his company because he had suffered a separated shoulder during training in Fort Riley, Kan.
During the funeral service, Doney planned to give the photo of Reyes to Reyes’ wife, Christina. He also made copies for other family members.
The 5×7 color photo showed Reyes holding his 4-year-old daughter, Sienna.
It was a father-and-daughter moment captured in early November when Reyes and Doney attended a “going away from Fort Carson” celebration.
“He (Reyes) would talk to his daughter by phone until she fell asleep,” Doney said.
Reyes, 26, was a graduate of Montbello High School in Denver, and he lived in Aurora with his family.
He was a technical engineer with the 947th Engineer Company, based in Durango.
Family, friends and members of the National Guard paid tribute to Reyes on Saturday morning during a service at Mississippi Avenue Baptist Church in Aurora. It was followed by burial in Fort Logan National Cemetery.
Members of the Reyes family declined to comment.
After seven members of the National Guard honored the fallen soldier with a 21-gun salute and the playing of taps, family members sitting and standing near his flag-draped casket sobbed.
“It hurts, it definitely hurts,” said Command Sgt. Maj. Edward Macias, who said he has known Reyes for six years.
He described Reyes as being reserved and someone who took his military mission very seriously.
“He would go above and beyond,” Macias said.
Reyes is survived by his wife, his daughter, 6-month-old son Nikko, mother Tomasa Reyes and brother Roger.
Staff writer Annette Espinoza can be reached at 303-820-1655 or aespinoza@denverpost.com.
