7 Mar 2005
DISD Interim Superintendent Orders District Flags To Half-Staff
DALLAS—Former Dallas Independent School District graduate Staff Sgt. Juan M. Solorio, 32, who was assigned to a Fort Lewis battalion in Washington, died Friday in Mosul, Iraq when an improvised explosive device blew up near his military vehicle.
Interim Superintendent Larry Groppel on Monday ordered all flags in the district to be lowered to half-staff until 5 p.m. Friday.
"We are saddened by the tragic news for the Solorio family and out of respect to his contributions to our country and for being a DISD grad, we will lower flags in DISD to half-staff until sunset on Friday, March 11," Groppel said.
His unit also was under small-arms fire at the time of the explosion according to the Army.
Solorio attended Nancy J. Cochran Elementary, T.W. Browne Middle, and graduated from the High School for the Health Professions in 1991. He joined the Army in 1993 and was stationed in Fort Hood, Texas; Schoffield Barracks, Hawaii; Fort Bragg, North Carolina; and Fort Lewis, Washington.
He is survived by his wife Elsa Gabrielle who also graduated from the High School for the Health Professions in 1992, his sons Julian and Max, his parents Gerald Sr. and Alicia, and brothers Gerald, Jr. and Fabian. Gerald is a teacher at Raul Quintanilla, Sr. Middle School.
Other forms of recognition and honor are being planned within the district.