Adrian Robles was born on December 8, 1986 to Cesar and Yolanda Robles. He has an older sister, Beatriz. He graduated from Scottsbluff High School in 2005.
He grew up with a desire to make a difference for himself and his country, and had been influenced greatly by his grandfather, who often told tales of his service in WWII. He knew he wanted to be a Marine before he graduated high school.
When he was a senior he went out for the soccer team, even though he’d barely played the sport before. His soccer coach said Adrian told him he wanted to play because the conditioning would give him a head start on what the Marines would expect from him. He had to learn some of the skills and became a goal keeper. He was always willing to learn and very enthusiastic. He was also involved in the computer club.
Adrian enlisted in the Marines right out of high school and proved to be an exemplary Marine, receiving three good conduct medals. He was stationed with the 2nd Battalion, 7th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, 1 Marine Expeditionary Force at Twenty Nine Palms, California and served a combat tour in Iraq before deploying to Afghanistan.
The unit was conduction security operations and training police and soldiers. Adrian was killed on October 22, 2008 in Helmand Province, Afghanistan. He was 21 years old. He was just a few weeks away from coming home.
Adrian was remembered because of his positive attitude and an electric smile. He was a goof ball, always telling stories that could make you laugh no matter how mad you were. He was a planner, he already had plans to form a construction business when he got home.
Honor and Remember Nebraska Chapter is pleased to present this flag sponsored by Spartan Nash to the family of Cpl Adrian Robles.
SCOTTSBLUFF, Neb. -- The wars in Afghanistan and Iraq came home Saturday to the sidewalks and roadsides of Scottsbluff and Gering.
Several thousand people paid flag-waving, hand-on-heart tribute to the life, service and sacrifice of Marine Cpl. Adrian Robles of Scottsbluff, a veteran of both conflicts.
Robles was killed when a roadside bomb exploded Oct. 22 in southern Afghanistan, where the Taliban and al-Qaida have been resurgent. He was 21.
Robles was the first serviceman from the Midlands to die in Afghanistan or Iraq since February.
His death brought the wars out of the shadows for people lulled by declining U.S. casualties and a presidential campaign focused on the vast reach of the economic crisis and other hot-button issues. A plumber named Joe -- not a GI Joe -- has held the nation's attention.
But many in the twin cities of Scottsbluff and Gering turned out on a sunny Saturday to honor Robles' sacrifice and show that the wars aren't far from their thoughts.
Rarely during the 10-mile funeral procession from a church in Gering to a cemetery in neighboring Scottsbluff was the cortege out of sight of those lining sidewalks or clustered at intersections.
"Whether we support the war or not, we should stand by our troops,'' said Julie Morrison, a Gering city councilwoman who organized a sidewalk tribute in Gering that spread across the North Platte River to Scottsbluff.
"This is common ground we can all share, if only for an hour.''
Gering Police Chief Mel Griggs, whose son is winding down a 23-year Army career, said the election and the economy pale in importance to honoring the service and sacrifice of America's military men and women.
"Without these kids . . .'' Griggs couldn't finish the sentence.
"Freedom isn't free,'' he said. "Somebody's paying for it every day. How do you say 'thank you' to somebody like that?''
As of Friday, at least 554 members of the U.S. military had died in the Afghanistan campaign since the U.S. invasion of that country in late 2001. At least 4,189 members of the American military had died in the Iraq war.
During the service at Central Church of Christ, Marine Sgt. Maj. Pepe Ramirez spoke.
Ramirez was part of a contingent from Marine Air Control Squadron 23 at Buckley Air Force Base in Denver that provided full military honors for Robles.
"Why do we serve? Is it worth it?" Ramirez asked.
Then he listed a few nations where American blood brought life to democracies: Germany, Japan, South Korea.
Ramirez told mourners to remember Robles' life in the living land around them -- in the valley's landmark bluffs, "remember his strength.''
Robles was recalled as a man with an electric smile. Gunnery Sgt. Trent Kuhlhoff, who served with Robles in Afghanistan, said he never knew anyone who laughed and smiled more than Robles.
"It was hard for me to get mad at him for anything,'' Kuhlhoff said.
An overflow crowd of nearly 600 attended the church service. More than 1,000 gathered at Veterans Circle at Fairview Cemetery for the burial. Many wore buttons honoring Robles. His mother wore his dog tags.
A Scottsbluff native, Robles graduated from Scottsbluff High School in 2005 and joined the Marines.
He was stationed with the 7th Marines at Twentynine Palms, Calif., and served a combat tour in Iraq before deploying to Afghanistan. His squad is scheduled to return home in December.
Robles' flag-draped coffin was transferred from a hearse to a black 1867 funeral coach, which was pulled by a black Percheron draft horse for the final mile of Robles' final journey.
His parents, Cesar and Yolanda Robles, rode on the front of the coach. Other family members and friends walked behind, carrying U.S. flags.
Morrison, who launched the flag-fluttering farewell, said the Robles family's sacrifice is heart wrenching.
"This is all he wanted to do, be a Marine. He did it. He got to be what he wanted to be,'' she said. "God bless him for that.''