Rodriguez:
Matthew R. Rodriguez, affectionately known as Matt-Man, was born on March 1, 1994. He was the beloved first born son of Lisa & Rolando Rodriguez of Fairhaven, MA; best friend of younger brother, Adam; loving younger brother of Lisa Doherty & Lauren Rodriguez; incredible uncle of Abigail Doherty and Katelyn & Alison Webber; and high school sweetheart to the love of his life, Julia Tapper, his fiancee. Matthew attended Nazarene Christian Academy in New Bedford and graduated from Greater New Bedford Regional Vocational Technical High School in 2012. Matthew was known by all for his blazing blue eyes, dedication & loyalty to those he loved and his infectious smile. He was nicknamed "The Smiling Warrior." Matthew was born to be a United States Marine. He wanted to follow in the footsteps of his father, who was also a Marine during the Vietnam War, and defend his beloved country. In August 2012, Matthew left home to enter the United States Marine Corps Bootcamp at Parris Island, SC. On November 16, 2012, Matthew earned the title of a United States Marine. He was stationed at Camp Pendleton in California. Matthew served the 1st Combat Engineer Battalion, 1st Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force in Afghanistan supporting Operation Enduring Freedom. On December 11, 2013, Matthew was killed in action in the Helmand Province, Afghanistan. He has been awarded the National Defense Service Medal, Afghanistan Campaign Medal, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, and NATO Medal International Security Assistance Force Afghanistan. He served his country with true patriotism and is a real American hero. Just a couple of weeks before deployment, Matthew got a tattoo that read, "For Those I Love I Will Sacrifice." Matthew bravely paid the ultimate sacrifice for the love of his country, family and friends. His heroism, sacrifice, honor and memory will never be forgotten. About the Fund:
The Rodriguez Family has created a fund in honor of Matthew. The LCpl Matthew R. Rodriguez Memorial Fund is designed to support graduating seniors from GNBRVTHS and to provide maintenance for the playground, at the New Bedford Regional Airport, that has been dedicated to him. In addition to these efforts, the fund will also provides support to local military families, and veterans programs.
