Gonzalez’s family initially requested the Army withhold information about the fallen soldier, including his service photograph, but approved the release of some details and the photo Today.
Army Master Sgt. Jose J. Gonzalez, one of two Green Berets killed in action during a raid last week in northern Afghanistan, was a father of two and a veteran of seven deployments who had been previously wounded in combat, officials said Tuesday.
Gonzalez was a member of the Army’s 7th Special Forces Group based at Eglin Air Force Base on Florida’s panhandle. He was killed with Army Master Sgt. Luis F. Deleon-Figueroa during a raid alongside Afghan special forces in Faryab province, according to U.S. and Afghan officials. The Taliban claimed responsibility for the soldiers’ deaths.
Read more about his inspiring life below.