US Army Staff Sergeant Angel Rampersad, who was killed in the Iran conflict, received a hero’s farewell during her funeral in New York, attended by military officials, elected leaders, and hundreds of mourners.
NEW YORK, NY – US Army Staff Sergeant Angel Rampersad was honored with a hero’s farewell at her funeral on August 1. The service was attended by military officials, elected leaders, and hundreds of mourners who gathered to pay their respects.
“My daughter was a real hero,” her mother, Carol Acevedo, expressed during the emotional ceremony.
Rampersad, who immigrated to the United States from Trinidad at the age of two, was tragically killed last month in an Iranian missile strike on the Muwaffaq Salti Air Base in Jordan, where she was deployed with the US Army.
New York Governor Kathy Hochul ordered flags across the state to be flown at half-staff in honor of Rampersad. She paid tribute to the fallen soldier, stating, “Staff Sergeant Rampersad lived a life of courage and selflessness. New York, and our nation, are safer because of brave Americans like her who answer the call to serve.”
A police motorcade, led by dozens of New York Police Department motorcycle officers, escorted Rampersad’s body to the funeral service at a church and later to her burial at a Long Island cemetery, where she received full military honors. The procession was broadcast live by several local television stations, allowing many to join in the tribute.
New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani, who attended the funeral, remarked, “Sgt. Rampersad’s courage and sacrifice will be remembered across the city she called home.” He added, “For so many New Yorkers, wars overseas are never distant; they are felt here at home.”
On July 22, President Donald Trump and US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth received Rampersad’s remains with military honors upon their arrival at Dover Air Force Base in Delaware.
Before her deployment to Jordan, Rampersad was assigned to a US Army Air and Missile Defense Command unit based in Germany. She was among the US service members who lost their lives amid renewed fighting during the Iran conflict.
According to IANS, Rampersad’s sacrifice has left a profound impact on her community and the nation.