MICHEL MARTIN, HOST:
New York Governor Kathy Hochul has ordered that flags be flown at half-staff across the state today in honor of one of the four American soldiers killed overseas in the last month. Reporter Brittany Kriegstein from member station WNYC has more.
BRITTANY KRIEGSTEIN, BYLINE: When Catalina Flores (ph) saw two men in military uniforms approach her friend's house across the street. She had a feeling something was wrong. Her friend, Carol Acevedo, had a daughter serving in the Army.
CATALINA FLORES: Once they closed the door, we just heard her screaming. You know how hurtful that is?
KRIEGSTEIN: The men had come to deliver the news that 28-year-old Angel S. Rampersad, a sergeant in the U.S. Army, had been killed in an attack at an airbase in Jordan. And just like that, a faraway war hit home in Ozone Park, Queens. At a vigil for Rampersad this week, dozens of residents gathered around the family's neat, two-story home on a tree-lined street corner as the sun began to set.
UNIDENTIFIED SINGER: (Singing) I once was lost. But now I'm found. Was blind...
UNIDENTIFIED CROWD: (Singing) But now I see.
UNIDENTIFIED SINGER: Come on, people, lift your voice.
KRIEGSTEIN: Rampersad's mother, her older sister and her aunt stood in the front yard. A white picket fence separated them from the rest of the crowd, which included elected officials like New York State Attorney General Letitia James and Congressman Gregory Meeks. Her mother, Acevedo, shed a few tears as they spoke.
CAROL ACEVEDO: I'd just like to thank everyone for their love and support. I want to thank you all. From the bottom of my heart, thank you.
KRIEGSTEIN: Behind her, the crowd could see the traditional triangular folded burial flag given to family members when a soldier dies. Community members lit candles and remembered Rampersad as a soldier, but also as a drummer at her church, a high school softball player, and a daughter who helped her immigrant family navigate their new home but never forgot where she came from. Rampersad's mother brought her to the U.S. from Trinidad when she was just 2 years old. She grew up in one of the most diverse enclaves in the country.
DONOVAN RICHARDS: Angel Rampersad was not born in the United States of America. But Angel Rampersad was willing to die for the United States of America. That's how strongly she felt about America, not just the place, but the idea of what this country could be.
KRIEGSTEIN: That was Queens borough President Donovan Richards. Those who watched Rampersad grow up say she knew exactly what she wanted to do with her life. At an earlier press conference, her aunt, Judy Rackal, explained that she tried to enlist at the age of 18, before her mom was ready to give her permission. And then...
(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)
JUDY RACKAL: A few days after her 21st birthday, she made an appointment with the recruiter and signed up on her own. Her mom found out after it was done.
KRIEGSTEIN: Rampersad was assigned to the 10th Army Air and Missile Defense Command. She served a total of seven years, earning the Army commendation medal. In Jordan, she worked on military communication systems. She was posthumously promoted to staff sergeant. As the vigil wrapped up, neighbor Catalina Flores says she's encouraging others to leave their porch lights on at night in remembrance of Rampersad, who she says was a selfless, steady presence in the community.
FLORES: Let's all be like her and be encouraged to help one another.
KRIEGSTEIN: Rampersad's funeral will be held this morning.
For NPR News, I'm Brittany Kriegstein.
(SOUNDBITE OF PETER, PAUL AND MARY SONG, "500 MILES") Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.
NPR transcripts are created on a rush deadline by an NPR contractor. This text may not be in its final form and may be updated or revised in the future. Accuracy and availability may vary. The authoritative record of NPR’s programming is the audio record.