Eleazar Lopez

“I graduated with the greatest class ever” Eleazar Lopez, 19 years old, told me of his 2007 Fillmore High School Graduating Class. Eleazar soon after graduation enlisted in the United States Army on March 31st 2007 and completed his basic training was at Fort Jackson, South Carolina. Eleazar also attended Piru Elementary School and Fillmore Middle School. Eleazar was on the FHS Cross Country and Track and Field teams all 4 years at FHS. He also played the trumpet in the band from the 4th grade to his freshman year at FHS.

United States Army Private Eleazar Lopez’ parents are Victor and Susan Lopez of Fillmore. His siblings are Victoria Lopez, 20 years old, and Sofia Lopez, 16 years old, both of Fillmore. Private Eleazar Lopez is the Grandson of the late (Maternal) Dr. James Francis (a United States Navy veteran of WWII and former fireman) and Thelma Grace Basque and the late (Paternal) Crispin and Maria Guadalupe Lopez Saucedo.
Private Eleazar Lopez is a mechanic attached to the 571st Military Police Company, 504th Military Police Battalion, 42nd Military Police Brigade known as the “Dragon Slayers”. The 504th Military Police Battalion is a combat Military Police Battalion with a Headquarters Detachment and three line companies; the 66th MP Company, the 170th Military Police Company and the 571st Military Police Company. The 504th also fulfills the Law and Order mission for Fort Lewis and Yakima Training Center. The 504th Military Police Battalion is a unit with a 70 year history of accomplishments and pride, and is the most decorated Military Police Battalion on active duty today.
Private Eleazar Lopez is planning to reclassify his assignment to become an Airborne Ranger. He is currently at his first duty station, Fort Lewis, Washington but already has plans to reenlist and seek assignments in Hawaii, Fort Bragg, North Carolina, or Fort Stewart, Georgia. Although he has yet to deploy he tells me his Unit is preparing to deploy to either Iraq or Afghanistan in early 2009. Fort Lewis, named after Meriwether Lewis of the famed Lewis and Clark expedition, is one of the largest and most modern military reservations in the United States. Consisting of 87,000 acres of prairie land cut from the glacier-flattened Nisqually Plain, it is the premier military installation in the Northwest. Fort Lewis has more than 25,000 soldiers and civilian workers. The post supports 120,000(+) retirees and more than 29,000 family members living both on and off post. Fort Lewis proper contains 86,000 acres; the Yakima Training Center covers 324,000 acres. Private Eleazar Lopez has been awarded the Global War on Terrorism Medal, Army Service Ribbon and Army Defense Ribbon.

All of us here at home wish Private Eleazar Lopez safe travel, we are proud of his service and we thank him and his family for their sacrifices to maintain our freedoms.