Online Obituaries
Nicholas A. MadrazoNovember, 14, 1982 - September, 09, 2008
1st Lt. Nicholas A. Madrazo, Nicholas Madrazo, a Marine from Bothell who died on Sept 9, 2008. BOTHELL, Wash. - A Marine from Bothell died Tuesday while serving in Afghanistan, and now his family wants people to remember the good deeds of those serving overseas. First Lt. Nicholas Madrazo was killed while supporting combat operations - just four months before he was due to return home from his deployment. "He always talked about serving his country and being part of the military so he could give back for our freedom," says his sister, Natalie Madrazo. She always knew her brother, who everyone called "Nick," would be a Marine. So did their mother, Jenny. "He used to play army men when he was a little boy and dress up his brothers," says Jenny Madrazo. But one day it wasn't child's play anymore. After graduating from business school in 2005, Nicholas Madrazo went into active duty. "He was proud to wear that uniform," says his father, Joel Madrazo. Nicholas Madrazo, 25, served his country with honor, and he took his job as a Marine seriously. When he was deployed to Afghanistan back in March, he saw a chance to make a difference. "He saw that the kids there didn't have anything; they didn't have pencils of their own," says his mother. So he called his family and asked them to send school supplies so he could give them to the Afghan children. Nick's brother, Jared, remembers hearing the stories from his older brother. "Giving a pen to a kid there is like fixing an Xbox to a kid here," he says. Recalls his mother, Jenny: "Every time they saw him, the kids would come out yelling 'Nick, Nick, Nick.'" He called and wrote e-mails to his family. "Nick wanted to pass on the good things that are happening there," says his father. The last time they heard from Nick was a week ago. Then they got the news that he had died on Tuesday. "He died doing what he wanted to do," says his sister Natalie. And, while the family grieves and tries to cope with what's happened, they want people to remember not how their son died ... As his father says: "To us he was more than a soldier, he had a task to do to make the lives of the Afghan people a little better." As a boy, he drafted his younger brothers and cousins to play war. In 2002, he put on a uniform for real and became a U.S. Marine. While returning from a patrol in Parwan province, Afghanistan, on Tuesday, Madrazo, 25, was killed when Taliban fighters detonated a roadside bomb. Another Marine, a Navy corpsman and a Afghan translator also perished in the attack. "Nic loved what he was doing," his uncle, Oliver Feeback, said Thursday. "He believed in what he was doing, and Nic gave the ultimate sacrifice for his family, friends and his country." As a tribute, fellow Marines and others in his military family lined the streets of Bagram Air Base as Madrazo's body was taken to a transport plane for the long flight back to the States. Madrazo's commanding officer told his mother by phone that Marines stood shoulder to shoulder with Afghan troops, French soldiers and local Afghans who had come to know the Bothell man. The hymn "Amazing Grace" was played. "It was a very powerful send-off," said Jenny Madrazo, his mother. Madrazo, a first lieutenant, was assigned to Combat Logistics Battalion 37, 3rd Marine Logistics Group, III Marine Expeditionary Force based in Okinawa, Japan. On Thursday, his brothers, sister, cousins and many friends joined his parents in the living room of their Bothell home to share stories. "This whole community loved Nic," Jenny Madrazo said. He played soccer at Bothell High School and received a degree in business from Seattle Pacific University. Madrazo volunteered to go to Afghanistan as part of his conviction that Marines help their comrades, his mother said. "He wanted to go. He wanted to serve that way," she said. He arrived in Afghanistan in March and his work included training Afghan troops, said his father, Joel Madrazo. In addition to patrolling villages looking for Taliban insurgents, Madrazo also worked on development projects, building roads and helping villagers. "He saw the other side of being a soldier," Joel Madrazo said. He told his family about the joy he found in giving candy to Afghan children. Later, after learning about the lack of dental care, he worried about the children getting cavities and started giving them pens, pencils and paper. "He cared about the people there," his mom said. "The kids were really excited to see Nic." At home, Nic was the oldest of four siblings and 17 cousins who all live in the Bothell area. Extended relatives and more cousins span the globe. He lived to tell jokes, impersonate movie stars and bring smiles to the faces of the people he loved. "There was never a sullen moment with him around," his aunt, Jocelyn d'Ahmed, said. Madrazo was a driven competitor. Jared Madrazo said he was afraid to beat his older brother at the video game "Halo," fearing his reward for winning would be a solid, but loving, punch in the arm. "Losing was unacceptable to him," Jared Madrazo, 20, said. Sheena Bredice, 25, begged her 10th-grade English teacher to allow her to sit next to Madrazo. She had a huge crush on him, she said. They became close friends, and he took her to the senior prom. "He's truly going to be missed," Bredice said. Madrazo was a great listener and a good friend, said Beth Flansburg, 25, who grew up near the family and went on to college with Madrazo. "He wanted to make things better for people," she said. The family learned Tuesday of the death. On Thursday, their emotions were still raw, Joel Madrazo said. "Like many parents losing a loved one, it's up and down." A memorial service is being planned for later this month. A burial is being scheduled at Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington, Va. "We think he'd be honored to be buried there," Jared Madrazo said. Defense Department officials have told the family that Madrazo will receive a Purple Heart. For now, his family is taking comfort in their faith in Jesus and their belief that Madrazo is in a better place. "He's in Heaven," Feeback, his uncle, said. "We will see him again there." View Tribute and Sign Guest Book |
