Survived by his mother Alice Valdez and stepfather Louis Valdez of Sacramento, and by biological father Ronald Stevens of Idaho. Also survived by brother Ronald Stevens Jr. Of Marysville, sister Amanda Wellons of Sacramento, and Grandmother Elizabeth Gherig of Idaho, and many aunts and uncles.
Staff Sgt. Joseph Stevens was scheduled to leave Iraq in mid-February.
But on Jan. 24, the longtime Sacramento resident was killed along with four other Army soldiers when their Bradley fighting vehicle flipped into a canal near Baghdad.
Sgt. Stevens was 26.
The cause of death was drowning, Army representatives told his family.
His survivors, led by his mother Alice Valdez, eagerly talk about Sgt. Stevens’ pride in serving his nation at a time of war.
“Joe was proud to be in the service,” Valdez said. “He believed in what he was doing.
“After going over there, Joe realized that the Iraqi people didn’t have the rights that we have,” she said. “It just devastated him that there is a country like that.”
Stopping to compose herself, Valdez added: “I want everybody to know that my son was proud of what he was doing, and we’re proud of what he did. We want everyone to know what he went through.”
Sgt. Stevens would have smiled at the idea of a news tribute, said his sister, Amanda Wellons.
“I think Joe would have liked just paying him a little respect, and let it be known that he did give his life for this country,” she said, suppressing tears.
Joseph William Stevens was born in Plymouth, Mass,, in 1978,
He was 5 years old when his parents moved to Roseville. The family later moved to Sacramento.
Sgt. Stevens attended Oakmont High School and American River College. His parents had divorced,
“Joe couldn’t decide what he wanted to do in college, so he went ahead and joined the Army” in 1998, said his mother, who has remarried.
Sgt. Stevens, a member of the 1st Infantry Division out of Fort Lewis, Wash., had been based in Germany for four years before he was sent to Iraq in January 2004.
“One of his main duties was to protect a TV tower in Baqouba” northeast of Baghdad, Alice Valdez said. “He couldn’t really tell us much over the phone because it was (probably) being monitored.
“Joe would try to phone me at least once a week, just to tell me he was doing his job,” she said. “He was trying to help the Iraqi people get their freedom and democracy. He said they really needed it because it was really bad over there.”
Sgt. Stevens had been married four years but divorced earlier this year.
Having no children of his own, he doted on his two nephews, Patrick Wellons, 4, and Christopher Wellons, 15 months old, Valdez said.
“He was really close to his nephews,” she said, “Patrick used to talk to Joe when he would call from Iraq”
In his final phone call, in the early hours of the day he died, Sgt. Stevens said he was counting down to Feb. 17.
“He told me he would be leaving Iraq on Feb. 17. and that he would be here in Sacramento in mid-March, ”Valdez said. “In December, he had re-enlisted for four more years in the Army, but he wasn’t going back to Iraq after Feb. 17.”
Still shocked over his death, Valdez wants the ‘United States to pursue ultimate victory in Iraq.
“We need to stay there and finish the job because that’s what my son would want,” she said.
Staff Sgt. Joseph Stevens was scheduled to leave Iraq in mid-February.
But on Jan. 24, the longtime Sacramento resident was killed along with four other Army soldiers when their Bradley fighting vehicle flipped into a canal near Baghdad.
Sgt. Stevens was 26.
The cause of death was drowning, Army representatives told his family.
His survivors, led by his mother Alice Valdez, eagerly talk about Sgt. Stevens’ pride in serving his nation at a time of war.
“Joe was proud to be in the service,” Valdez said. “He believed in what he was doing.
“After going over there, Joe realized that the Iraqi people didn’t have the rights that we have,” she said. “It just devastated him that there is a country like that.”
Stopping to compose herself, Valdez added: “I want everybody to know that my son was proud of what he was doing, and we’re proud of what he did. We want everyone to know what he went through.”
Sgt. Stevens would have smiled at the idea of a news tribute, said his sister, Amanda Wellons.
“I think Joe would have liked just paying him a little respect, and let it be known that he did give his life for this country,” she said, suppressing tears.
Joseph William Stevens was born in Plymouth, Mass,, in 1978,
He was 5 years old when his parents moved to Roseville. The family later moved to Sacramento.
Sgt. Stevens attended Oakmont High School and American River College. His parents had divorced,
“Joe couldn’t decide what he wanted to do in college, so he went ahead and joined the Army” in 1998, said his mother, who has remarried.
Sgt. Stevens, a member of the 1st Infantry Division out of Fort Lewis, Wash., had been based in Germany for four years before he was sent to Iraq in January 2004.
“One of his main duties was to protect a TV tower in Baqouba” northeast of Baghdad, Alice Valdez said. “He couldn’t really tell us much over the phone because it was (probably) being monitored.
“Joe would try to phone me at least once a week, just to tell me he was doing his job,” she said. “He was trying to help the Iraqi people get their freedom and democracy. He said they really needed it because it was really bad over there.”
Sgt. Stevens had been married four years but divorced earlier this year.
Having no children of his own, he doted on his two nephews, Patrick Wellons, 4, and Christopher Wellons, 15 months old, Valdez said.
“He was really close to his nephews,” she said, “Patrick used to talk to Joe when he would call from Iraq”
In his final phone call, in the early hours of the day he died, Sgt. Stevens said he was counting down to Feb. 17.
“He told me he would be leaving Iraq on Feb. 17. and that he would be here in Sacramento in mid-March, ”Valdez said. “In December, he had re-enlisted for four more years in the Army, but he wasn’t going back to Iraq after Feb. 17.”
Still shocked over his death, Valdez wants the ‘United States to pursue ultimate victory in Iraq.
“We need to stay there and finish the job because that’s what my son would want,” she said.
Survived by his mother Alice Valdez and stepfather Louis Valdez of Sacramento, and by biological father Ronald Stevens of Idaho. Also survived by brother Ronald Stevens Jr. Of Marysville, sister Amanda Wellons of Sacramento, and Grandmother Elizabeth Gherig of Idaho, and many aunts and uncles.
Staff Sgt. Joseph Stevens was scheduled to leave Iraq in mid-February.
But on Jan. 24, the longtime Sacramento resident was killed along with four other Army soldiers when their Bradley fighting vehicle flipped into a canal near Baghdad.
Sgt. Stevens was 26.
The cause of death was drowning, Army representatives told his family.
His survivors, led by his mother Alice Valdez, eagerly talk about Sgt. Stevens’ pride in serving his nation at a time of war.
“Joe was proud to be in the service,” Valdez said. “He believed in what he was doing.
“After going over there, Joe realized that the Iraqi people didn’t have the rights that we have,” she said. “It just devastated him that there is a country like that.”
Stopping to compose herself, Valdez added: “I want everybody to know that my son was proud of what he was doing, and we’re proud of what he did. We want everyone to know what he went through.”
Sgt. Stevens would have smiled at the idea of a news tribute, said his sister, Amanda Wellons.
“I think Joe would have liked just paying him a little respect, and let it be known that he did give his life for this country,” she said, suppressing tears.
Joseph William Stevens was born in Plymouth, Mass,, in 1978,
He was 5 years old when his parents moved to Roseville. The family later moved to Sacramento.
Sgt. Stevens attended Oakmont High School and American River College. His parents had divorced,
“Joe couldn’t decide what he wanted to do in college, so he went ahead and joined the Army” in 1998, said his mother, who has remarried.
Sgt. Stevens, a member of the 1st Infantry Division out of Fort Lewis, Wash., had been based in Germany for four years before he was sent to Iraq in January 2004.
“One of his main duties was to protect a TV tower in Baqouba” northeast of Baghdad, Alice Valdez said. “He couldn’t really tell us much over the phone because it was (probably) being monitored.
“Joe would try to phone me at least once a week, just to tell me he was doing his job,” she said. “He was trying to help the Iraqi people get their freedom and democracy. He said they really needed it because it was really bad over there.”
Sgt. Stevens had been married four years but divorced earlier this year.
Having no children of his own, he doted on his two nephews, Patrick Wellons, 4, and Christopher Wellons, 15 months old, Valdez said.
“He was really close to his nephews,” she said, “Patrick used to talk to Joe when he would call from Iraq”
In his final phone call, in the early hours of the day he died, Sgt. Stevens said he was counting down to Feb. 17.
“He told me he would be leaving Iraq on Feb. 17. and that he would be here in Sacramento in mid-March, ”Valdez said. “In December, he had re-enlisted for four more years in the Army, but he wasn’t going back to Iraq after Feb. 17.”
Still shocked over his death, Valdez wants the ‘United States to pursue ultimate victory in Iraq.
“We need to stay there and finish the job because that’s what my son would want,” she said.
Staff Sgt. Joseph Stevens was scheduled to leave Iraq in mid-February.
But on Jan. 24, the longtime Sacramento resident was killed along with four other Army soldiers when their Bradley fighting vehicle flipped into a canal near Baghdad.
Sgt. Stevens was 26.
The cause of death was drowning, Army representatives told his family.
His survivors, led by his mother Alice Valdez, eagerly talk about Sgt. Stevens’ pride in serving his nation at a time of war.
“Joe was proud to be in the service,” Valdez said. “He believed in what he was doing.
“After going over there, Joe realized that the Iraqi people didn’t have the rights that we have,” she said. “It just devastated him that there is a country like that.”
Stopping to compose herself, Valdez added: “I want everybody to know that my son was proud of what he was doing, and we’re proud of what he did. We want everyone to know what he went through.”
Sgt. Stevens would have smiled at the idea of a news tribute, said his sister, Amanda Wellons.
“I think Joe would have liked just paying him a little respect, and let it be known that he did give his life for this country,” she said, suppressing tears.
Joseph William Stevens was born in Plymouth, Mass,, in 1978,
He was 5 years old when his parents moved to Roseville. The family later moved to Sacramento.
Sgt. Stevens attended Oakmont High School and American River College. His parents had divorced,
“Joe couldn’t decide what he wanted to do in college, so he went ahead and joined the Army” in 1998, said his mother, who has remarried.
Sgt. Stevens, a member of the 1st Infantry Division out of Fort Lewis, Wash., had been based in Germany for four years before he was sent to Iraq in January 2004.
“One of his main duties was to protect a TV tower in Baqouba” northeast of Baghdad, Alice Valdez said. “He couldn’t really tell us much over the phone because it was (probably) being monitored.
“Joe would try to phone me at least once a week, just to tell me he was doing his job,” she said. “He was trying to help the Iraqi people get their freedom and democracy. He said they really needed it because it was really bad over there.”
Sgt. Stevens had been married four years but divorced earlier this year.
Having no children of his own, he doted on his two nephews, Patrick Wellons, 4, and Christopher Wellons, 15 months old, Valdez said.
“He was really close to his nephews,” she said, “Patrick used to talk to Joe when he would call from Iraq”
In his final phone call, in the early hours of the day he died, Sgt. Stevens said he was counting down to Feb. 17.
“He told me he would be leaving Iraq on Feb. 17. and that he would be here in Sacramento in mid-March, ”Valdez said. “In December, he had re-enlisted for four more years in the Army, but he wasn’t going back to Iraq after Feb. 17.”
Still shocked over his death, Valdez wants the ‘United States to pursue ultimate victory in Iraq.
“We need to stay there and finish the job because that’s what my son would want,” she said.
