SOLDIER REMEMBERED AS A PATRIOT.Byline: EUGENE TONG tong 1 tr.v. tonged, tong·ing, tongs To seize, hold, or manipulate with tongs. [Back-formation from tongs. Staff Writer In the eyes of her father, Carla Babayan Stewart was always his beautiful daughter with an infectious smile. But at Saturday's memorial service for the 37-year-old Army specialist killed in a convoy accident in Iraq last month, she had become much more. "I thought I was the tough one, the patriot of the family," said Edmond Babayan, Stewart's father and a retired Marine. "This young lady, she said if her unit wasn't called, she was going to go on her own anyway. "I'm humbled by you, Carla. You turned out to be the brave, the tough, the best patriot of all of us. All I can say is until we meet again, I have to do my final salute The Final Salute is an informal form of saluting performed by Aircraft pilots particularly in the Air Force. Even though many various Air Forces of countries use salutes which are similar to the British Army (i.e. to you as a humble Marine to my beautiful, tough hero." Babayan saluted his daughter's flag-draped casket, then fell to his knees in prayer as about 300 family and friends gathered at Forest Lawn Forest Lawn is the name of a number of different places:
Born in La Canada Flintridge, she enlisted in the Army Reserves about two years ago and was assigned to the 250th Transportation Company based in El Monte El Monte (ĕl mŏn`tē), city (1990 pop. 106,209), Los Angeles co., S Calif.; inc. 1912. A residential, industrial, and commercial city in the San Gabriel Valley, El Monte manufactures furniture, electronic equipment, semiconductors, . After completing basic training at Fort Jackson Fort Jackson can refer to several places or things:
Stewart's mother, Emmy Aprahamian, said her daughter showed immeasurable kindness toward others. "Carla knew that our individual duty and responsibility in life is to polish our souls and become better human beings," she said. "By doing so, we heal ourselves and heal humanity at large. "She was the light. She is my light." That theme ran throughout the service -- from the benediction benediction [Lat.,=blessing], solemn blessing usually administered in the name of God by a priest or a minister. The temple worship at Jerusalem had fixed forms of benedictions, and Christians have always given them an important place in ceremony, especially at the delivered by Archbishop Mousheg Mardirossian of the Armenian Apostolic Church The Armenian Apostolic Church (Armenian: Հայ Առաքելական Եկեղեցի, Hay Arakelagan Yegeghetzi), sometimes called the Armenian Orthodox Church or the to the reflective dignity of the military funeral A military funeral is a funeral given by a country's military for a veteran, a soldier who died in battle, or another prominent military figure. When heads of state die, they often receive military funerals. . Uniformed soldiers punctuated the service with taps and a rifle salute, while Stewart's parents and brother released 37 white doves -- one for each year of her life. "The best we can do is to remember Carla as she lived, bringing life, love and joy to those who knew her and pride to a nation," said Esther Agopian, who delivered the eulogy. "We marvel at your will and we will always celebrate your strength, your courage and your conviction," she said of Stewart's memory. The older of two siblings, Stewart grew up in La Canada Flintridge and Glendale. She was an accomplished ballet dancer and enjoyed the outdoors. She married Brendan Stewart in 1995. Her brother, Richard "Rick" Babayan, was her "forever best friend," Agopian said. "With Carla and Rick as the dynamic duo
Dynamic Duo (다이나믹 듀오) is a Korean hip hop duo, made up of members Choiza and Gaeko (former members of the trio, CBMass). , there never was a dull moment in the Babayan household." Yet Carla Stewart always yearned for a meaningful life in service to others. "Many times she would say to Rick, 'It shouldn't be either-or, should it? Peace and justice should belong to all people, everywhere, all the time; isn't that right?'" Agopian said. Her fellow service members nicknamed her "Stuart Little" after a helpful mouse in children's books. "(She was) always first to help with the biggest of tasks and always greeted you with the biggest smile," said Agopian, reading an e-mail from Sgt. Fredrick E. Moore, who served with Stewart. In the message, Moore related a poem read during her Feb. 6 funeral service funeral service n → misa de cuerpo presente funeral service n → service m funèbre funeral service funeral n in Iraq. "We thought we felt your touch today in the breeze that rustled by, and then we heard the angels say her spirit will never die." eugene.tong(at)dailynews.com (818) 546-3304 CAPTION(S): 2 photos Photo: (1) The funeral procession makes its way toward the burial site Saturday for a memorial service for Army Spc. Carla Babayan Stewart at Forest Lawn Memorial-Park Hollywood Hills cemetery. She was killed on Jan. 28 while serving in Iraq. Alex Collins/Special to the Daily News (2) SPC. CARLA BABAYAN STEWART |
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