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Panama mourns its Iraq War dead

On December 21 a suicide bomber attacked a cafeteria at an Iraqi National Guard training facility in Mosul, leaving 22 dead and 69 injured. Among the dead were US Navy Builder Chief Joel E. Baldwin, 37, and US Army Sergeant Julián Melo Sánchez, 48, both of them natives of Panama.

Baldwin was raised in the former Canal Zone and joined the Navy about 15 years ago. He lived in Gulfport, Mississippi with his wife Claudia and their daughter Calli. In addition to them, he is survived by his parents, Spike and Wendy Baldwin. At the time of the attack Baldwin was assigned to the task of building a permanent facility at the Iraqi National Guard base, which was mainly a collection of tents.

Melo Sánchez, called “Poli” by his family and friends, followed in his family’s tradition and briefly served in the former Panama Defense Forces. However, in 1978 he encountered an opportunity to emigrate to the United States and took it, joining the US Army. He died of his wounds shortly after the deadly blast. He is survived by his wife Alma and their son Joshua, both of whom live in New York, and his father, retired Panama Defense Forces Colonel Julián Melo Borbúa, his brother, US Army Sergeant Edgardo J. Melo, and his sister, Maribel Melo.



























Also in this section:
Two Panama natives killed in Mosul suicide bombing
Second annual American Fair
Republicans in Panama inaugural ball
Panama Historical Society discusses museums, railroad anniversary
Christmas in Panama, 2004

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