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| Age: |
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26 |
| Hometown: |
Purchase, NY
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| Date of Death: |
8/8/2005 |
| Incident Location: |
Baghdad |
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| Branch of Military: |
|
Army |
| Rank: |
Spc. |
| Unit: |
1st Battalion, 69th Infantry Regiment, 256th Brigade Combat Team |
| Unit's Base: |
New York, N.Y. |
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Anthony N. Kalladeen and his older brother, Chad Pillai, were put up for foster care when they were just 9 and 10 after their mother suffered a nervous breakdown.
But Kalladeen, at age 17, came looking for her and his brother to reunite the family.
"He showed us what true love was," said his cousin Ana Rodriguez, 46. "He showed no animosity toward his mother."
Kalladeen, 26, of Purchase, N.Y., died Aug. 8 when his vehicle was ambushed. He was assigned to New York City and was on his second tour.
Kalladeen, a former Marine with four years of service, was attending Purchase College before he was sent to Iraq.
"He was like a big teddy bear," said Krystina Orellano, 19, a junior. "When he gave us a hug, he took all the air out of you."
Pillai, himself a captain in the Army, flew in from Germany for the funeral.
"There's been a lot of heartache over the years, but finding each other again was the best part of my life," said Pillai.
He then tucked his own dog tags into Kalladeen's hands just before the coffin was closed.
"He'll always have my tags," Pillai said. "He always can find me." |
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