Soldier dies nearly 20 years after being wounded in Iraq

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"AS A IRAQ/AFGHANISTAN WAR VETERAN-SLOW SALUTE: RESPECT" R.I.P BROTHER

Soldier dies nearly 20 years after being wounded in Iraq
By The Associated Press
 Wednesday, Nov 30
An honor guard carries the casket of former Army Sgt. Joel Gomez while sister Noemi Sanchez watches during funeral services at Abraham Lincoln National Cemetery on Tuesday, Nov. 29, 2022, in Elwood, Ill.
An honor guard carries the casket of former Army Sgt. Joel Gomez while sister Noemi Sanchez watches during funeral services at Abraham Lincoln National Cemetery on Tuesday, Nov. 29, 2022, in Elwood, Ill. (Brian Cassella/Chicago Tribune via AP)

ELWOOD, Ill. — A soldier who suffered catastrophic injuries while serving in Iraq nearly two decades ago has died and been laid to rest in northern Illinois with full military honors.

Former U.S. Army Sgt. Joel Gomez, 42, of Wheaton died Nov. 22 after developing pneumonia and kidney problems. Gomez, who had been living with quadriplegia since his wartime injury, was buried Tuesday at the Abraham Lincoln National Cemetery in Elwood.