Terry D'Arcy Mayor | City of Joliet
Terry D'Arcy Mayor | City of Joliet
Joliet, Illinois, Mayor Terry D’Arcy has announced that flags across the city will be lowered to half-staff to honor the late Staff Sergeant Jose Dueñez Jr., a local soldier who tragically lost his life in a training accident. The gesture is scheduled to begin at sunrise on Friday, April 18, 2025, and will include the two preceding days, coinciding with his funeral.
Staff Sergeant Dueñez was one of four U.S. Army soldiers who died in Lithuania while supporting Operation Atlantic Resolve. Their bodies were found after their armored vehicle became submerged in a marsh. Dueñez, a native of Joliet, would have celebrated his 26th birthday on April 8. He leaves behind a wife, a one-year-old son, and five siblings.
Commenting on the tragedy, Mayor D’Arcy said, “This is a tragic loss of life. We all owe it to him and his family to show our deepest respect for his commitment to our country by lowering flags to half-staff.”
The flag-lowering initiative aligns with state guidelines under the Illinois Flag Display Act, which mandates flags to be at half-staff for Illinois armed forces members who die in the line of duty.
A visitation for Dueñez will occur at Tezak Funeral Home in Joliet on Thursday, April 17, from 4:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. The funeral service is planned for the following day at Word of Life Church in Crest Hill, Illinois. Proceedings will start with a visitation from 10:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m., followed by the service at 11:00 a.m., and a cremation.
Mayor D’Arcy urged the community, including schools, businesses, and places of worship, to participate in honoring Dueñez's sacrifice. He remarked, “It is up to all of us to unite in our appreciation for those who put their lives on the line all over the world to protect our freedoms here at home.”
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