DMN's Texan of the Year

The Dallas Morning News has named Roy Velez Texan of the Year for his inspiration and example to those suffering with grief and loss of loved ones. Velez lost two of his sons this year in Iraq and Afghanistan:

DALLAS - An ex-cop whose two sons died in Iraq and Afghanistan and who has become an inspiration to people dealing with grief and loss has been named the Texan of the Year by The Dallas Morning News.

Roy Velez, a regional branch manager for a medical equipment company in Lubbock, was selected for his "strength for others, compassion and grace - and for serving as inspiration for anyone who knows his story," according to an article published on the newspaper's Web site Saturday.

Velez, still mourning for his soldier sons, has become a symbol of sacrifice in West Texas, where strangers who learn of his story approach with their own tales of woe, the article says. He answers their letters, questions and good wishes with compassion. As an active churchgoer who has built his own family ministry, Velez said he prays for "everybody and anybody," but especially soldiers still on the battlefield.

That's where Velez lost his son Freddy, who was shot several times during a battle northwest of Fallujah, Iraq.

Freddy's death was particularly hard on Velez's son Andrew, who was fighting in Afghanistan, according to the article. Tormented by his brother's death, a troubled marriage and his own combat experiences, Andrew shot himself in the mouth with an automatic weapon in July.

"I feel the boys are inside me," Velez said. "Their heart, their spirit, their love, their courage and, most of all, their freedom."

Velez's willingness to talk about his loss has made him a go-to source for reporters wanting to know his thoughts on the war. Velez said America must stay in Iraq "until we're finished."

"It's not about President Bush; it's not about being a Democrat or Republican," he said. "It's about standing behind a country that we love so much."