From the time he was little, all Paul Alaniz wanted to do was earn his wings and fly. "He was an amazing life force," said his sister, Yvette Musik. "When he took to the air, we all went with him."
Alaniz, 30, of Corpus Christi, Texas, was among the 31 killed in the crash of their CH-53E helicopter Jan. 26, 2005, near Rutbah, Iraq. He was assigned to the Heavy Helicopter Squadron 361, Aircraft Group 16, 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing, based at the Marine Corps Air Station in Miramar, Calif.
He attended Texas Tech University and worked as a substitute high school teacher before he joined the military in 1996.
Alaniz was serving his second tour of duty in Iraq. "He wanted to be a helicopter pilot more than anyone else I'd ever known," said Olympia Reeves, a former co-worker. "He was very focused, honest and confident. He believed in what the Corps stood for. Not too many people get to do what they want and believe in it so much."
He is survived by his wife, Thelma, and an 18-month-old daughter, Yvette.
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