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SSG Vega-Velazquez was born 27 November, 1955 in Ponce, Puerto Rico.  In 1974, he graduated from high school and joined the Army to become an infantryman.  A fact in which he was proud.  He served two tours in Germany and returned in 1984 to become a Blackhawk mechanic.  He worked as a mechanic and crew chief, but his love for flying him brought him back to working as a crew chief.  He came to Charlie Company, 1st Battalion in 1990.

His bearing, maturity, and experience brought him on line from day one.  He was a unique individual and lent his personal strengths whenever possible. Truly a team player, he was well remembered for recalling excerpts from movies and his love for sports.  He was a gifted man with uncommon wisdom and foresight.  He was able to present a new perspective to any given situation and always find the positive side.  He made people feel special by wanting to know about them, while he himself, remained in the shadows.

He was awarded the Air Medal with “V” device for his outstanding heroism on 21 February, 1991 while serving as a crew chief of an MH-60L Blackhawk helicopter during Operation Desert Storm in Southwest Asia.  He crewed his aircraft at an extremely low altitude to evade the air defense artillery threat. While returning to the medical facility, his aircraft encountered a sandstorm and the pilots lost visual reference with the ground. His aircraft, #251, crashed and he selflessly gave his life for his country.

He was married to Carolyn Vega. 

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