First Sgt. Jose San Nicolas Crisostomo, 59, 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. According to CNN, Crisostomo was killed by a roadside bomb in Kabul on August 18 while riding in an armored Humvee. He joined the Army in 1969 and retired in 1993, then volunteered to serve again in 2008. His record shows he was one of the few service members who served in Vietnam and in current U.S. military operations. He also served during the first Gulf War in 1991, twice received the Bronze Star, received the Purple Heart for being wounded in combat, and the Kuwait Liberation Medal. A native of Guam who settled in the Seattle area, he helped found Grupun Minagof, a group of Chamorro Americans who organize fiestas and other happenings in the local community. The group also raises money to provide scholarships for Chamorro youth..
