Not yet a citizen, Clearwater soldier dies in Iraq

Arturo Huerta-Cruz, 23, the soldier killed in Iraq on Monday, moved to the United States from Mexico as a child and dreamed of being an architect.

His family moved from Hidalgo, Mexico, to Clearwater when he was 7, and he attended Sandy Lane Elementary, Countryside High School and St. Petersburg College.

On Wednesday, his mother and father wept on a couch in their home on Barbara Avenue as two candles flickered and pictures of their son rested amid a small memorial.

"The memory of my son is that he was always a good student, a good son, very respectful," said Maria Huerta, 40. "He always had a lot of desire to come out ahead, improve himself."

Huerta-Cruz was a resident alien, not an American citizen. He got an associate's degree in architectural design at St. Petersburg College but decided to join the military because he wanted the experience.

The 10th Mountain Division soldier was a chemical operations specialist who enlisted in the Army in May 2006, after which he was stationed at Fort Drum, N.Y. In November 2007, he deployed to Iraq and served in the Kirkuk area of northern Iraq.

He received the Purple Heart, Army Achievement Medal and the National Defense Service Medal.

Army officials said Wednesday they would begin the process to grant Huerta-Cruz posthumous citizenship.

"I think he's entitled to that," said Army Warrant Officer Mark Summers, the casualty affairs officer based at MacDill Air Force base assisting the family. "We are able to do that for fallen soldiers who don't have naturalized citizenship. We would want to honor that."

Huerta-Cruz's family said they would accept the honor.

"We told him that we would accept that they give that honor," said his father, Pascual Huerta.

--Stephanie Garry and Jose Cardenas, Times Staff Writer

Photos courtesy of Fort Drum Public Affairs Department