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Local Slain Hero Honored

Reported by: Rob Hughes (rhughes@kswt.com)

El Centro, CA November 6- A local Army soldier killed in action is honored Friday. Sergeant First Class Pablo Manzano Junior of El Centro was only 19 when he was killed in Iraq six years ago.

Pablo Manzano Junior enlisted in the Army after September 11th because he wanted to fight for his country. For the last six years, his family has held a charity softball tournament on a baseball field with no name, right next to Stark Field in El Centro. Now the field is being named in his honor.

"Pablo was a real sweet guy, he went to fight for our country, he's our hero, not just anybody goes out and does that," said Pablo's Aunt Mercedes Manzano.

To the naked eye, it's just a field with grass and dirt, but to Pablo Manzano Junior's family, it's a sign of valor, courage, and sacrifice.

"We miss him and we love him, and we're glad that we're able to do this for him in his remembrance, for fighting for us in Iraq, and he was so young, and this can live on here forever," said Pablo's sister Carmen.

What started out as an anonymous letter to the Imperial Valley Press, turned into a permanent memorial for a slain hero. Carmen says his field will continue his legacy.

"Our children will be able to come here, we want to keep it clean and everything, so we're all going to pitch in to keep his memory alive," said Carmen.

Pablo's family says he was humble, loved basketball, and working with his dad.

"We think he was always a very loving, helpful person; he loved his family, and his friends; he loved playing with his cousins; if we had a birthday party, he just loved hanging out with his family; he loved that; that was what he always loved," said Carmen.

Now his family will gather at Pablo's field every January for a softball tournament designed to give back to others, just like Pablo did.

"Out of tragedy we want to make something good, having this tournament every year, we do have a lot of charities that have no money; we split the money, and we're very happy with the city, they helped put this sign up here," said Pablo's father Pablo.

The family would also like to thank the person who wrote the anonymous letter that set everything in motion. They don't know who this person is.