The 35th Infantry Regiment Association salutes our fallen brother, Farid Elazzouzi, who died in the service of his country on June 14th, 2007 in Kirkuk, Iraq. The cause of death was listed as Improvised Explosive Device. At the time of his death Farid was 26 years of age. He was from Paterson, New Jersey.
The decorations earned by Farid Elazzouzi include: the Combat Infantryman Badge, the Purple Heart,
Army Spc. Farid Elazzouzi
Born and raised in Morocco, Farid Elazzouzi idolized fast cars and the material comforts of life in the United States.
He managed to win a green card from an annual lottery in Morocco and decided to leave behind his mother and older siblings. He arrived in New Jersey and got a 14-hour-a-day menial job. Tall and well-built, Elazzouzi eventually decided to capitalize on his brawn. When a Moroccan veteran told him about the Army, Elazzouzi enlisted in 2005.
"His poor family," said Abdalilah Louhab, an acquaintance. "He was just trying to support them."
Elazzouzi, 26, of Paterson, N.J., was killed by a roadside blast June 14 in Kirkuk, Iraq. He was assigned to Schofield Barracks, Hawaii.
Slain Moroccan soldier entered Army to support family
The Associated Press
Army Spc. Farid Elazzouzi Born and raised in Morocco, Farid Elazzouzi idolized fast cars and the material comforts of life in the U.S.
He managed to win a green card from an annual lottery in Morocco and decided to leave behind his mother and older siblings. He arrived in New Jersey and got a 14-hour-a-day menial job.
One of his friends helped him open a bank account, where he managed to sock away a few thousand dollars. Several acquaintances told him to apply to Passaic County Community College. One of his first questions was about finding a gym.
Tall and well-built, Elazzouzi eventually decided to capitalize on his brawn. When a Moroccan veteran told him about the Army, Elazzouzi enlisted in 2005.
"His poor family," said Abdalilah Louhab, an acquaintance. "He was just trying to support them."
Elazzouzi, 26, of Paterson, N.J., was killed by a roadside blast June 14 in Kirkuk, Iraq. He was assigned to Schofield Barracks, Hawaii.
"Even if he wasn't from my country, it's sad what happened to him," said Khoed Mahmmoud, who also left Morocco for Paterson two years ago.
He is survived by his mother.
Elazzouzi was born in Morocco, the Pentagon said. He enlisted in the Army in 2005 and took basic training at Fort Jackson, S.C. His unit was deployed to Iraq in July 2006 for a one-year tour.
Mohamed El Filali of The Islamic Center of Passaic County told The Record of Bergen County that Elazzouzi lived with roommates in South Paterson and that the roommates had been made aware of his death.
His mother and siblings still live in Oujda, Morocco, a city of more than half a million people near the Algerian border. A large number of immigrants from Oujda live in London, but few come to Paterson, El Filali said.
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