Today is a very sad day for our Ranger families. These past few months there have been several casualties overseas but this one just hits a tad harder. Staff Sgt. Pedro Brandao Lacerda, a U.S. Army Ranger assigned to the 75th Ranger Regiment died as a result of complications due to a spontaneous brain aneurysm on May 29. The reason it hits harder is because he was an instructor along side Ben in his battalion.
Lacerda’s awards and decorations include the Ranger Tab, Combat Infantryman’s Badge, Parachutist’s Badge. He has also been awarded the Joint Service Commendation Medal, Army Commendation Medal with one oak leaf cluster, Army Achievement Medal, Army Good Conduct Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Afghanistan campaign Medal with combat star, Iraq Campaign Medal with combat star, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, and the Army Service Ribbon. He will be posthumously awarded with the Army Meritorious Service Medal.
Staff Sgt Lacerda is survived by his wife Marina and his children Yasmin and Pepe.
Today marks his memorial and a day where he will be honored as an amazing soldier. Please keep his wife, kids, family and friends in your prayers as they will need them in the days to come!
On another note, Ben will be going to Stanford Hospital tonight for a sleep study. They have been trying to put this together for him and tonight is the night! During this sleep study they will watch his sleep patterns and also do a 24 hour EEG monitoring session to trace any un-noticed seizures. He has only had hour long EEG's so to have a 24 hour one will be good! We will be leaving here about 6pm in the evening and then settling into a room for the evening. I will be Ben's primary care giver so I will be getting him ready for bed, giving meds and being with him until the morning when we come back. Please pray for both of us! I am going to be trying to get some sleep that night but having the responsibility of an all night shift will be a bit!
Thank you for all of your prayers and encouragement! Blessings!
5 comments:
His memorial was amazing! One thing I can tell you is that he was extremely loved!
RLTW!!
I was at the memorial as well--and my heart broke to hear his daughter cry and then to watch his son carry the American Flag out of the funeral home just as proud as he could be. My heart breaks for Pedro's family and his Rangers.
Oh. This brings a flood of tears to my eyes. Our men and women in uniform give so much! I can't imagine being one of those who was left behind. My friends and I are praying for his family and especially Marina as now she is a single mother and has many more burdens to carry. May the Lord be with them. Thank you, Katie for letting us all know.
I do not know what half of those honors mean, but it is evident that he served our country unselfishly! Keeping his family in my thoughts & prayers! Hope to hear all good results of the studies Ben is about to undergo!
so sorry to hear this... ongoing thoughts and prayers being sent your way.
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