Fallen hero
Family heartbroken after man killed in training mission
A Houston man was among three U.S. soldiers killed in Jordan.
A Houston man was one of three soldiers killed Friday in an attack at a Jordan military base.
James Moriarty, 27, a member of the U.S. Army’s special forces, was shot to death during a training mission.
“The initial report is that they came under fire, as they were entering the facility in vehicles,” according to a statement from the U.S. Department of Defense. “We are working closely with the government of Jordan to determine exactly what happened.”
Moriarty is the only son and namesake of a prominent Houston lawyer, who posted photos and reflections on his Facebook page while calling for an end to war and honoring other lost soldiers.
James R. Moriarty wrote that his son was scheduled to come home in two weeks.
“For 15 years I have grieved for the losses suffered by the parents and families of our children who we have sent off to these meaningless wars. Today my family, and all of us suffer from the loss of my son,” the U.S. Marine
Corps Vietnam veteran wrote. “This is a young man who loved serving in the Army, was where he wanted to be, doing what he wanted to do. My heart also grieves for the parents and families of his two team mates who were also killed. Rest in peace gentlemen, we honor your service.”
Known as Jimbo and Jimmy to relatives and friends, the younger Moriarty was a graduate of Strake Jesuit College Preparatory high school in Houston. He earned a bachelor’s degree in business administration from the University of Texas at Austin.
Family spokesman Wayne Dolcefino said Saturday the fallen soldier had completed three tours of duty in Jordan and spoke fluent Arabic.
“The story coming out of Jordan has a lot of holes, and the family has lots of questions,” he said. “They have not yet been briefed by the U.S. military as to what happened.”
Friends and family expressed heartbreak and sadness over Moriarty’s death on his father’s Facebook page. They described him as someone who was highly respected and an American hero. His dad wrote in one Facebook post that his son was a charmer and that “girls flocked to him like flies to honey.”
“Jim. I know you are so proud of your boy. I know you are heartbroken. Keep your mind on the good times,” Dolcefino wrote on the father’s Facebook.
Dolcefino said the soldier’s remains will be returned to Houston, before a burial at Arlington National Cemetery.