Bliss Military Clothing Staff Helps Honor Family’s ‘True Soldier’

Amy Curry, Frank Agosto-Ramos, Patricia Valentinsantos helped a grieving son and daughter honor their father, “a true Soldier.”

Retired Chief Warrant Officer Wilson Roach’s family called him a “true Soldier” who served for 30 years, including two tours in Vietnam, before retiring in 1984.

When he passed away Feb. 15 at 83, his son, daughter and son-in-law vowed to fulfill his wishes of being buried in his original military dress blues.

Military Clothing Store Manager Willie Davis told the family, “Come on down.”

The family turned to the Military Clothing store at Fort Bliss, Texas, for help with getting every bar, pilot wing and ribbons attached to Roach’s uniform according to regulations.

‘Immeasurable compassion’

In letters to General Manager Michael Brennan and Retail Business Manager Susan Ribail, the family praised Store Manager Willie Davis, Sales Associate Amy Curry, and shift managers Pat Valentinsantos and Frank Agosto-Ramos for their “immeasurable compassion and patience.”

“We were helped by managers who went above and beyond, personally making sure we were absolutely cared for and treated right,” wrote Kent, Roach’s son.

Finding a keepsake

Valentinsantos even found a replica of Roach’s dress blues for the family to keep to remember Roach. Agosto-Ramos created a new rack of military ribbons and other awards and medals for the uniform.

Kent’s sister, Karen, who worked with the Exchange in the late 1970s in Stuttgart, Germany, said she couldn’t have been more thrilled at the customer service exhibited by the MCS staff.

“Care is exactly what they did and in every sense of the word,” she wrote, in her letter. “It warmed this girl’s heart.”

History FunFact

October 12, 1981

The day the Exchange assumed management of the Army’s Military Clothing Stores in CONUS. The Exchange began operating the Air Force’s Military Clothing Stores six years before.