Las Vegan killed in Iraq is buried at Arlington

Suzanne Struglinski

Friday, July 1, 2005 | 11 a.m.

ARLINGTON, Va. -- When military officials arrived at the home of Las Vegas resident Stanley J. Lapinski's parents last month to tell them he had been killed in Iraq, the first thing his father told them is that he had only one request.

But before the grieving father could finish his sentence, one of the officials said the request had already been granted.

"What is that?" the surprised elder Stanley Lapinski asked.

"Arlington," the military official replied.

The dead infantryman's father said he wanted his 35-year-old son to have the honor of burial in the national cemetery "because he was so interested inhistory." He said his son had planned to go back to school to get a Ph.D. in history and become a teacher. They had talked about Arlington one day, listing all the historical figures buried there.

President John F. Kennedy, his wife Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, President William Howard Taft, Supreme Court justices, including Chief Justice Earl Warren and at least 240,000 other service members are buried there. About 20 to 30 funerals take place daily at the military cemetery, just across the Potomac River from Washington, D.C.

On Thursday, Army Cpl. Stanley J. Lapinski became the 153rd person killed in Operation Iraqi Freedom to be buried at Arlington.

"To me, it's the highest honor you can pay a solider," said the elder Stanley Lapinski.

And he figures his son earned it.

"It is probably because he got the Bronze Star," his father said. In addition to that medal, his son also was awarded a Purple Heart and an award for good conduct.

During the service, his mother, Gaynell Lapinski, wore her own commendation -- a metal bracelet with a small photo of Stanley Lapinski, smiling and clad in desert camouflage; next to the photo -- a charm inscribed with the words: "In memory of my son."

The bracelet was a gift from the Army wives at Fort Stewart in Georgia.

Another charm on the bracelet bears the inscription, "Support Our Troops" next to an small image of an American Flag.

The day was bright, humid and hot as soldiers in full dress uniform carried Lapinski's casket to this burial site. His father said he knew it would be a nice day, despite terrible thunderstorms that hit Wednesday night.

"It about cracked the earth in half," Stanley Lapinski said. "But I was outside smoking a cigarette and got a funny feeling that someone was smiling down, saying it would be sunny today. That's what carried us through."

A private Roman Catholic funeral Mass at Fort Meyer preceded the burial.

Las Vegas resident Jorge Ralat, a friend of Lapinski's traveled to Arlington for the burial, attended the service and said as they sang "Amazing Grace" and "America the Beautiful," everyone teared up.

"I know Stan and have known him for a long time," Ralat, a former Marine, said. "I had to be here for him."

Although his parents live in Beverly Hills, Fla., Lapinski lived in Las Vegas from 1988 to 1991 and again from 1996 to 2003 and attended UNLV for two years. After working as a Circuit City retail sales clerk in Las Vegas, Lapinski signed up for the Army in October 2003.

Lapinski's father, who called his son by the Polish nickname "Stash," short for Stanley, said his fellow soldiers called his son "Pops" because he so much older than most of them.

"If it wasn't for Sept. 11, he wouldn't have gone," said Scott Pauzar, a friend and former roommate when Lapinski lived in Las Vegas.

Lapinski was assigned to the Army's 3rd Battalion, 7th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Infantry Division. Lapinski had only been in Iraq for four months when he was killed. He had become a gunner in April, his father said, which he wanted to do instead of driving trucks. He had just returned from a four-day leave to Qatar.

Lapinski received a four-page letter from his son a week after he died, telling stories of girls he had been checking out and how he got around a three-beer limit. He laughed and said he was not sure if he would show it to his son's mother just yet.

As people took their seats next to Section 60, Grave 8196, the sounds of drums and rifle shots could be heard from other funerals taking place. After a blessing, soldiers folded the American flag covering Lapinski's casket and gave it his parents, along with his medals. He received his own 21-gun salute and a military bugler played "Taps" before the family departed for a reception at nearby Fort Myer.

Karen and Jimmy Colson, from Dodson, N.C., drove to Virginia for the funeral. Their son Josh Colson, 23, was Lapinski's roommate at Fort Stewart, where they trained together, and in Iraq.

Lapinski's father said his son was killed just after relieving Josh Colson from duty. Colson had returned to their room and as he was changing clothes, he heard the explosion.

Stanely Lapinski said he and his wife do not agree that troops need to be in Iraq, but he wants to keep politics out of remembering his son.

"Whenever he came home on leave, however we felt about the war, we always supported him," he said.

Gaynell Lapinski said what she will remember most about Thursday is "all the wonderful things people said about my son and how fortunate we are to have these people in our lives."

She said that as a brigadier general handed her the flag off his coffin, he told her, "Thank you for a wonderful young man."

Stanley Lapinski said the the words from the service that will stay with him are:"Your son is a hero, there is no question about it. I will pray for you."

Other memorials for Lapinski are planned for Aug. 2 in Las Vegas and later this month at Fort Stewart in Georgia, where a tree will be planted in his memory.

But Gaynell Lapinski said the best way to honor her son is to "just get the word out, support our troops. We need to get them out of there."