Guam
Air Force Date of Birth: 1998-01-17
Date of Passing: 2022-01-26
Air Force Date of Birth: 1998-01-17
Date of Passing: 2022-01-26
SSGT James Lorenzo Mobel Balmonte
01/17/98-01/26/22James was the oldest of my four kids(3 boys &1 girl) my kids were all close in age and grew up with a very strong close bond. Growing up he was very curious about everything and was a fast learner. James was always a happy kid who was very respectful and polite. He was my backbone as he was always there to help me. He grew up to be very energetic, happy and outgoing which came as a no surprise cause his personality was a people person. He joined the AirForce in 2017, straight out of high school, got married a year later and his life seemed to be heading in the right direction.
Somewhere along the line he and his wife went thru problems and decided to call it quits to find themselves. During that time, he would alway volunteer to go on missions or to do extra work around his squadron never once showing he was depressed. He always had a big smile on his face and would always help others despite having his own demons to fight. For the five years he was in, he achieved a lot and accomplished so much for a young 23 year old.
He was set to deploy on January 28 and his wife was set to relocate to her new duty station that same day. I guess she was his anchor and the thought of coming to an empty home was too much for him to bear. That day he passed I sensed something was wrong so I messaged him to be safe. He told me not to stress he’ll be ok. I still didn’t feel right so I reached out to the wife to check up on him as well as his close friends that I knew of. His wife told me he was ok and that she’ll give him a hug from me when he leaves for deployment.
Half an hour later she called and tells me “ he’s gone!” I fell to my knees crying out “ my son, my son!” My heart broke and my whole world came to a stop. I had and still have alot of unanswered questions, along with guilt weighing me down but I had to bring my son home first and foremost. I brought my son from California to our home on Guam to lay him to rest. But through all of this, it brought me closer to the Lord. My faith and belief is stronger now. Each time I feel sad instead of crying I pray for him and myself to give us strength cause no matter what I know one day we will be reunited. For now all I do is share videos, pictures and tell stories about my son to keep his memory alive. He’ll forever live and be a part of our lives in our hearts.
01/17/98-01/26/22James was the oldest of my four kids(3 boys &1 girl) my kids were all close in age and grew up with a very strong close bond. Growing up he was very curious about everything and was a fast learner. James was always a happy kid who was very respectful and polite. He was my backbone as he was always there to help me. He grew up to be very energetic, happy and outgoing which came as a no surprise cause his personality was a people person. He joined the AirForce in 2017, straight out of high school, got married a year later and his life seemed to be heading in the right direction.
Somewhere along the line he and his wife went thru problems and decided to call it quits to find themselves. During that time, he would alway volunteer to go on missions or to do extra work around his squadron never once showing he was depressed. He always had a big smile on his face and would always help others despite having his own demons to fight. For the five years he was in, he achieved a lot and accomplished so much for a young 23 year old.
He was set to deploy on January 28 and his wife was set to relocate to her new duty station that same day. I guess she was his anchor and the thought of coming to an empty home was too much for him to bear. That day he passed I sensed something was wrong so I messaged him to be safe. He told me not to stress he’ll be ok. I still didn’t feel right so I reached out to the wife to check up on him as well as his close friends that I knew of. His wife told me he was ok and that she’ll give him a hug from me when he leaves for deployment.
Half an hour later she called and tells me “ he’s gone!” I fell to my knees crying out “ my son, my son!” My heart broke and my whole world came to a stop. I had and still have alot of unanswered questions, along with guilt weighing me down but I had to bring my son home first and foremost. I brought my son from California to our home on Guam to lay him to rest. But through all of this, it brought me closer to the Lord. My faith and belief is stronger now. Each time I feel sad instead of crying I pray for him and myself to give us strength cause no matter what I know one day we will be reunited. For now all I do is share videos, pictures and tell stories about my son to keep his memory alive. He’ll forever live and be a part of our lives in our hearts.
