From almost the moment the doors opened at Migliaccio Funeral Home at 851 Kennedy Blvd. in Bayonne on Wednesday, July 20, Bayonne veterans were on the scene, waiting to pay homage to the one-time Bayonne resident who had paid the ultimate price for freedom by dying for his country.
Spc. Rafael A. Nieves Jr., 22, of Albany, N.Y., died on July 10 in Paktika Province, Afghanistan, of wounds suffered when enemy forces attacked his vehicle with small-arms and rocket-propelled grenade fire.
While Nieves had lived and died far from the borders of Bayonne and Jersey City – he had lived here until he was 14 years old – his mother, Tina Roman, still resides in Bayonne.
Grim-faced veterans from other wars gathered on the sidewalk outside the funeral home as family members and friends made their way inside.
“This is a man who died for his country and his children, and his children will never know what it feels like for him to hold them.” – Sandra Bolden Cunningham
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“He died for his country,” said Barry Dugan, a member of the Bayonne Detachment of the Marine Corps League.
A huge Harry Potter fan
The father of two – a three-year-old daughter and a five-month-old son, Nieves had only seen his five-month-old son once. Not a big sports fan, he loved video games, cookies, “Twilight” and “Harry Potter.” These items were reflected on two poster boards in the memorial home, along with photos of his growing up, photos that showed him almost always smiling – something friends and family members said was typical for him. One friend called it “the Colgate smile,” not realizing that Nieves had grown up within a mile of the famous Colgate Clock.
His father, Rafael Nieves Sr. of New York, told a local New York TV station that his son had been scheduled to return to the United States in late July to take up duties at Fort Campbell, Ky., with his wife and two children – just in time for his 23rd birthday.
For as long as anyone can remember, young Nieves dreamed of serving in the military, dreaming of a day when he could get through high school so that he could enlist in the Air Force or the U.S. Navy so he could fly. He wanted to be a pilot, his father told one New York City newspaper.
Nieves joined the U.S. Army in August 2009, and eventually realized his dream of flying when he was admitted into the elite 101st Airborne Division – the branch of service depicted in the “Brothers in Arms” TV show.
Nieves attended two elementary schools in Jersey City and, briefly, Lincoln High School before moving to New York State to attend Guilderland High School, where he met his future wife.
According to Assistant Superintendent for Curriculum and Instruction Damian Singleton at Guilderland, Nieves did not have an easy time at school, but managed eventually to get his GED.
Becoming a father, however, seemed to focus him, according to his father, and though some family members feared he might not come back if he went into the Army, young Nieves fulfilled his childhood dream by enlisting for eight years. He volunteered for both the Army and the Marines, but his father said, the Army took him first, and he became a paratrooper.
His death came at the end of his first deployment overseas.
Friends and family members remember him as an eternal optimist, and someone who helped people whenever he could, often taking on the role of a big brother.
Combat action
In a release, the Defense Department said Nieves died on July 10 of wounds suffered when enemy forces attacked his vehicle with small-arms and rocket-propelled grenade fire.
His brother, Matthew, was quoted by an Albany publication as saying that the solider was returning enemy fire when he was killed. An email to his father from PFC Eric Peterson, another solider in his unit, said that Nieves had died saving the lives of those in the convoy. He called him “the bravest man” he’d ever seen. One report said he mounted an armored vehicle to fight back against the attack when he was hit by enemy fire.
Coming home to Bayonne
Although divorced, Nieves’ parents came together at Andrew’s Air Force Base to await the return of their son’s body, after which Nieves was brought back to New Jersey for a one day memorial in Bayonne, where local vets gathered with family members to honor him.
“This is what it is all about,” said Frank Perrucci, after the veterans paid their respects to the family in a special ceremony at the memorial home, forming a semi-circle around the casket as a bugler blew “Taps.”
On July 21, a funeral was held at St. Aloysius Church in Jersey City. A cremation ceremony followed at Rosehill Crematory in Linden.
The Patriot Guard Riders, who were invited by Nieves’ mother, stood guard outside both the wake and the funeral.
Survivors include his wife, Sarah A. McKinney, and two children, all of Oak Grove; his father, Rafael A. Nieves Sr. of Schenectady, N.Y.; and his mother, Tina R. Roman of Bayonne.
Honored by three governors and others
Nieves received numerous awards and decorations, including an Army Commendation Medal; Afghanistan Campaign Medal with Bronze Service Star; North Atlantic Treaty Organization Medal; National Defense Service Medal; Global War on Terrorism Service Medal; and Army Service Ribbon. He was awarded the Purple Heart on his death.
He also received praise from the governors of at least three states – New York, New Jersey, and Kentucky. Governor Andrew M. Cuomo of New York, Gov. Christopher Christie, and Gov. Steve Beshear of Kentucky (Nieves’ station in the U.S.) directed that flags at all state office buildings be lowered to half-staff in his honor.
Locally, Nieves was honored by Bayonne Mayor Mark Smith, Rep. Albio Sires, State Senator Sandra Bolden Cunningham, Freeholder Doreen DiDomenico, and Councilman Raymond Greaves.
“Our nation is grateful for the dedication and service Army Specialist Rafael Nieves has given in defending the freedom of the United States of America,” Sires said.
Cunningham visited the family at the wake to provide comfort and encouragement to them.
“This is the most devastating thing that can happen to a young family, for them to lose their father and not know him growing up,” she said. “My heart went out to them. This is a man who died for his country and his children, and his children will never know what it feels like for him to hold them.”
Cunningham said people like Nieves who serve in the military or public safety positions like firefighters and police officers have a passion for what they do, and it is this passion that makes them special people.
Cunningham and DiDomenico said they will be sponsoring resolutions honoring him.