A Vietnam veteran and Bronze Star recipient who volunteered to return to the Army and serve in Afghanistan became the oldest U.S. service member to die in combat there, the U.S. military announced Friday.
First Sgt. Jose San Nicolas Crisostomo was killed by a roadside bomb in Kabul on Tuesday while riding in an armored Humvee. His body was flown to the United States early Thursday morning.
Crisostomo of Spanaway, Washington, was 59. He would have turned 60 later this month, according to KING television in Seattle, Washington. He was one of a very few service members who served in Vietnam and in current U.S. military operations, his record shows. He twice received the Bronze Star, which is awarded to U.S. troops for combat valor. Crisostomo also received the Purple Heart for being wounded in combat, according to his records. It was not clear from his official records if he received the medals for combat in Vietnam or Afghanistan.
His records also indicate he received numerous other commendations. He also served during the first Gulf War in 1991 and received the Kuwait Liberation Medal. He joined the Army in 1969 and retired in 1993, then volunteered to serve again in 2008.
According to his records, his position in the Army was automated logistical specialist, but it was unclear in what capacity he was serving while in Afghanistan. Earlier this year, a 60-year-old soldier was killed in Iraq, becoming the oldest U.S. service member killed in either the war in Iraq or the war in Afghanistan.
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