Remembering the soldier from Chandler who died in Somalia
Staff Sgt. Alexander “Alex” Conrad was their middle child, the one who played T-ball as a little boy, football in high school and lived through two Army deployments in Afghanistan.
Images on the church monitors transitioned from one family memory to another, from one moment in Conrad’s life to another.
In one photo, Conrad stood with his mother, father, brother and sister posed in front of a blue-marbled backdrop for a family portrait. In another, he gripped a T-ball bat, smiling ear to ear, as a toddler.
His parents did not speak at their son’s funeral, nor did his siblings. They sat quietly during the memorial, listening to the Catholic priest remember their loved one.
Conrad was killed by a mortar blast on June 8 in Somalia during an attack by al-Shabaab, a terrorist group affiliated with Al Qaeda.
Family, friends and strangers who wanted to honor the soldier gathered at the public funeral service Saturday at St. Juan Diego Church in Chandler.
Conrad, a human intelligence officer enlisted in the Army’s 3rd Special Forces Group, stood tall in one photo, among his comrades, wearing combat camouflage.
A group of those comrades — Joe Owens, Lamar Allen, Oscar Casas, Donovan Cox, Logan Baxter and Dominick Ruthman — gently pulled the wooden casket, covered by an American flag, out of the white hearse, Saturday morning.
The men, dressed in their military best — black coats, navy slacks, patent leather dress shoes and maroon berets — escorted Conrad into the church.
They entered the church and slowly lifted the flag off the casket, methodically folding it before they handed it to Rev. Dan McBride.
McBride gave the folded flag to Conrad’s family.
Conrad survived two deployments in Afghanistan. He was on a mission 220 miles outside of Mogadishu on June 8, when he was killed by a mortar blast. He was 26 years old. Rev. McBride told the mourners that he has spoken at other military funerals, but this one was different.
“Someone who died in combat so young,” McBride said.
He praised Conrad, who he knew personally from church. He said Conrad’s selfless disposition ruled his personal and military life.
“Alex was a witness,” McBride said. He said Conrad saw injustice in the word, he said, and did something about it. Conrad’s younger brother, Jacob, dropped his head into his hands, as McBride said this.
“Alex rose to the task,” McBride said. “He said to the rest of humanity: I see your suffering. And he witnessed them, people in the far corners of the world and to us, with his blood.”
One hundred or so friends, family members and comrades sang worship songs, prayed and mourned together.
“He was a good young man,” McBride said, “because he was taught to be.”
They watched the photo slideshow on the church monitors as the priest spoke.
In the photos, Conrad, an outdoorsman, is sliding through the woods on a snowboard, crouching on a grassy hiking trail next to his dog and holding two frosty mugs full of beer, smiling like he’s proud of himself.
They stayed mostly silent as Conrad’s body entered and exited the church.
Conrad will be buried on July 20 at Arlington National Cemetery.
They comforted each other after the hearse drove his body away.
Standing outside the church after the funeral, Army Maj. Gen. Edwin J. Deedrick spoke of the soldier who served in one his subordinate units.
“He was a great warrior,” Deedrick said. “We have suffered a great loss.”
Family and friends left the funeral for a private celebration of Conrad’s life.
After the celebration, Conrad’s brother shared thoughts on his brother’s life in a phone call with
Jacob Conrad wanted people to know he looked up to his big brother.
“Alex was a hero,” he said. “He really cares about you.”
Jacob Conrad, who served in the Army five years of active duty, and now in the Reserves, said his brother’s helpful personality stood out during his Special Forces service.
He remembered how Alex helped his comrade, Cody Wakefield, adjust to military life.
“Cody was low-ranking ... and having a real tough time,” he said. “When you’re deployed you lose your family. You think about that a lot — your family, your home. A lot of soldiers deal with depression because of that.”
Jacob said Alex went out of his way to give Wakefield advice, checking in regularly to make sure the fellow soldier got out of his funk.
“Alex said (to Wakefield), write all this stuff down and think about it when things get tough. Think of it as your goal and see yourself living out that goal. Do what you gotta do to make that goal a reality,” he said.
He said Wakefield followed his brother’s advice, and made it through those lonely first weeks of deployment.
Jacob Conrad wanted people to know his brother left an impression on every person with whom he crossed paths.
They’re left now with photos and memories of the son, brother and friend they loved, the middle child who loved sports, hikes in the wilderness with his dog, beers with friends, time back home with his family and serving his country.