<bgsound src="http://jenny-parcell.webs.com/Unforgettable.MP3" loop="infinite"> Last update was: 10/29/09

This website is a memorial to the life of U.S Army Pvt. Isaac T. Cortes 26, of Bronx, New York.

Isaac was assigned to 1st Squadron, 71st Cavalry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division (Light Infantry), Fort Drum, New York and made the ultimate sacrifice for all Americans on November 27th, 2007 in Amerli, Iraq, of wounds sustained when his vehicle encountered an improvised explosive device.

"These kids join to fight for The United States of America and all the patriotic terms... But they die for their friends next to them..." - John Phelps, Gold-Star father

"All that I am or ever hope to be, I owe to my angel Mother..."
- Abraham Lincoln

Isaac gives his mom, Emily Toro, a kiss after swearing in on Jan 3, 2007
Emily's faith, trust, and support made the idea of this tribute site become a reality...

"Hello, my name is Emily Toro... and I am a GOLD STAR MOM..."

It is not only blood, but heart which makes us family...

An ounce of blood is worth more than a pound of friendship... - Spanish Proverb

"Call it a clan, call it a tribe, call it a family. Whatever you call it, whoever you are, you need one..." - Jane Howard

Isaac's dad, brother (Chris), and mom (Emily), holding Isaac's dog tags...

"We all have our time machines. Some take us forward, they're called dreams. Some take us back, they're called memories..." - Jeremy Irons, British Actor

Emily Toro, remembering Isaac as only she can

Between the fields where the flag is planted, there are over 9 miles of flower fields that go all the way to the ocean. The flowers are grown by seed companies. It's a beautiful place, close to Vandenberg AFB. As for the dimensions of the flag - The Floral Flag is 740 feet long and 390 feet wide and maintains the proper Flag dimensions, as described in Executive Order #10834.

This Flag is 6.65 acres and is the first Floral Flag to be planted with 5 pointed Stars, comprised of White Larkspur. Each Star is 24 feet in diameter; each Stripe is 30 feet wide. This Flag is estimated to contain more than 400,000 Larkspur plants, with 4-5 flower stems each, for a total of more than 2 million flowers...

- Aerial photo courtesy of Bill Morson

Isaac gave his life not only for this flag, but for everyone it's ever represented...

"I wish life was not so short, he thought. languages take such a time, and so do all the things one wants to know about..."
- J.R.R. Tolkien

Isaac's obituary in a Puerto Rican newspaper...

"Because time itself is like a spiral, something special happens on your birthday each year: The same energy that God invested in you at birth is present once again..."
- Menachem Mendel Schneerson

Isaac was born on May 29th, 1981 - Happy Birthday Isaac !

When brothers agree, no fortress is so strong as their common life...
- Antisthenes

Isaac and his brother, Chris, several years ago

Our siblings push buttons that cast us in roles we felt sure we had let go of long ago - the baby, the peacekeeper, the caretaker, the avoider.... It doesn't seem to matter how much time has elapsed or how far we've traveled...

Isaac and his brother, Chris, at Fort Benning

"Families are the compass that guide us. They are the inspiration to reach great heights, and our comfort when we occasionally falter..."
- Brad Henry

"Discipline is the refining fire by which talent becomes ability..."
- R.L. Smith

Standing tall and looking good, he ought to be in Hollywood...
Isaac lines up for graduation rehersal - Fort Benning, GA

"The body has to be utilized for service to others. More bliss can be got from serving others than from merely serving oneself..."
- Sri Sathya Sai Baba

Unforgettable, that's what you are
Unforgettable, though near or far
Like a song of love that clings to me
How the thought of you does things to me
Never before has someone been more...

Unforgettable in every way
And forever more, that's how you'll stay
That's why, darling, it's incredible
That someone so unforgettable
Thinks that I am unforgettable too...

- Natalie and Nat King Cole

"I will forever be indebted to Isaac for giving his life to protect the freedom of our family, as well as the freedom of every other family in America. His name will always be a constant reminder of what a true hero is..."
- Charisse Camacho

Isaac holding his "Minnie Me"

"Isaac was so happy to see his daughter Amaria... You can not imagine the love he had for her. Isaac raised her since she was only 3 months old. He was 18 yrs old when he fell in love with her and chose to take the responsibility to be a dad to her. Color had no boundaries in his eyes. What he had was love in his heart and that's what he gave her..." - Emily Toro

"I have a dream that my four children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character..." - Martin Luther King Jr.

Amaria and Isaac...

"I like you, Tony. There's no lying in you..." - From the 1983 movie "Scarface"

"How do I begin to try and explain (to a complete stranger) how dear my cousin is to me? i know to some, when you think of a cousin you may think of some distant relative. In my case, Isaac was always more than a cousin to me. I've always looked upon him and treated him like a brother. I grew up looking after him... I enjoyed my childhood that much better having him around..." - Arlene Saro-Anthony

"Praising what is lost makes the REMEMBRANCE dear..." - William Shakespeare

A mother is she who can take the place of all others but whose place no one else can take...
- Cardinal Mermillod

Sand Hill Hug... Isaac and mom, Emily, in front of the Sand Hill Visitor Center - Fort Benning, GA

Sunsets are so beautiful that they almost seem as if we were looking through the gates of Heaven...

When you look at the sun setting in the summer sky, know that Isaac resides on all the colors...

Did you ever know that you're my hero,
and everything I would like to be?
I can fly higher than an eagle,
Because you are the wind beneath my wings...
- Bette Midler

"The secret of happiness is freedom. The secret of freedom is courage..."
- Thucydides (Ancient Greek author, 404BC)

Any existence deprived of freedom is a kind of death...

The Chicago "Freedom Wall"

I am the mother of an American Soldier

I give my complete and unwavering support to my soldier. As my son serves the people of the United States, so I humbly offer up my prayers for his safety and the safety and health of those he serves beside. I respect his choice to adhere to a strict moral code and system of values that has preserved our great country for over two centuries.

I accept that my soldier's first duty is to his country and I understand that this sacrifice he willingly makes is what keeps our nation great. I will never expect anything but the best from my soldier for I know he is capable. I know that a soldier's heart is true and strong, and that my soldier will endure.

I will never abandon my soldier, my son, my love. I will love him unconditionally. he will know I am there for him, even when he is alone. I am disciplined, emotionally and mentally tough, learning to wait for phone calls and letters or emails home. I, like my soldier, am an expert.

I stand ready to do what ever I can do to let my son, my soldier, know that we are here for him beside him, we love him and I will pray for swift destruction of the enemies of our country. I am the person who stood guardian of this man who has become my soldier, now our guardian of freedom and the American way of life.

I AM THE MOTHER OF AN AMERICAN SOLDIER

"A daughter is a miracle that never ceases to be miraculous...full of beauty and forever beautiful...loving and caring and truly amazing..."
- Deanna Beisser

Isaac and Cheyenne

"Commitment unlocks the doors of imagination, allows vision, and gives us the "right stuff" to turn our dreams into reality..."
- James Womack

Isaac, shortly after swearing in - January 3rd, 2007

"From our ancestors come our names, but from our virtues our honors..."
- Leonardo da Vinci

"Dignity does not consist in possessing honors, but in deserving them..."
- Aristotle

A mother is the truest friend we have, when trials heavy and sudden, fall upon us; when adversity takes the place of prosperity; when friends who rejoice with us in our sunshine desert us; when trouble thickens around us, still will she cling to us, and endeavor by her kind precepts and counsels to dissipate the clouds of darkness, and cause peace to return to our hearts...
- Washington Irving

Just as iron sharpens iron, so does one man sharpen another...

Isaac and his brother, Chris in Georgia

"You can't live a perfect day without doing something
for someone who will never be able to repay you..."
- John Wooden

"Every mother is like Moses. She does not enter the promised
land. She prepares a world she will not see..."

- Pope Paul VI

The 10th Mountain Division

Since the September 11, 2001 attacks, elite 10th Mountain units have deployed at an even greater frequency. Division units have played significant roles in Afghanistan and Iraq. Amongst these was "Operation Anaconda" in Afghanistan in 2002. However, according to retired U.S. Army Colonel David Hackworth, despite its name, the 10th Mountain Division was not a mountain-warfare capable unit at its deployment to Afghanistan and during Operation Anaconda. One division sergeant was quoted as saying: "We don't do mountains".

The division has also been credited with the successful maintenance of security of Western Baghdad including the exceedingly violent Abu Ghraib neighborhood during the first democratic Iraqi elections of 2004. During this last operation the 2nd Brigade Combat team allowed no successful suicide bomber attacks at polling sites. They have also deployed on a smaller scale to numerous other countries and regions including the Sinai, Bosnia, Kuwait, and Kosovo.

As part of the Army's modular transformation, the divisional structure saw much change during 2004 and 2005. Division Support Command; 3rd Battalion, 62nd Air Defense Artillery Regiment; 110th Military Intelligence Battalion; 10th Signal Battalion; 41st Engineer Battalion; 10th Forward Support Battalion and 710th Main Support Battalion were all deactivated September 2004. The remaining units were reorganized and two new brigade combat teams (BCTs) were added to the division. The 3rd BCT was activated at Ft. Drum in late 2004. The 4th BCT was activated at Fort Polk, LA on January 19 2005. The Army hopes to move the 4th BCT to Fort Drum from Fort Polk between FY 2010 and 2011, if housing is available for the members of the brigade. The 3rd BCT deployed to Afghanistan in January 2009.

This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you...
Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends...
John 15:12~13

To gain that which is worth having, it may be necessary to lose everything else...
- Bernadette Devlin

American is The Land of the Free, BECAUSE OF THE BRAVE

If you're alone, I'll be your shadow. If you want to cry, I'll be your shoulder. If you want a hug, I'll be your pillow. If you need to be happy, I'll be your smile. But anytime you need a friend, I'll just be me...

In his (Isaac's) possession when he was killed was a cross I had given his father long time ago. Before Isaac left for Iraq he told his father "I want something of yours dad..." It was the silver cross. Isaac had it on when he was killed.

I really don't know many Bible verses but there is one that really speaks to me...

John 15:13.."GREATER LOVE HAS NO ONE THAN THIS,THAT HE LAY DOWN HIS LIFE FOR HIS FRIENDS..."
- Emily Toro, 5/14/09 (in an e-mail to this webmaster)

"When Jesus therefore saw his mother, and a disciple standing by, whom he loved, he said to his mother, "Woman, behold thy son..." Then he said to the disciple, "Behold my mother..." and from that hour the disciple took her unto his own home..."
- John 19:27 (One of the last acts of Jesus was to make sure his mother was cared for)

A card Isaac sent to his mom, Emily...

Love here on earth and love beyond the grave...
There are no roads that my love for you can't pave...
- T. Sachs

Emily and Isaac

To be a star, you must shine your own light, follow your own path, and don't
worry about the darkness, for that is when the stars shine brightest...

Not only is Isaac in heaven right now, he has his own star...

"Always be a first-rate version of yourself, instead of a second-rate version of somebody else..."
- Judy Garland

You know I'm a dreamer, but my heart's of gold
I had to run away high, so I wouldn't come home low

Just when things went right, doesn't mean they were always wrong
Just take this song and you'll never be left all alone

Take me to your heart, feel me in your bones
Just one more night, and I'm comin' off this long & winding road

I'm on my way...
Just set me free...
Home Sweet Home

- Motley Crue - 1985

"Pvt. Isaac Cortes' motto was "Go Big or Go Home..." he did hid best to go big, but he sure didn't
get the chance to go home... to the Bronx..." - From Isaac's Bio, provided by Emily Toro

"Do not spoil what you have by desiring what you have not; remember that what you now have was once among the things you only hoped for..."
- Epicurus, Greek philosopher, BC 341-270

Isaac, chillin' on a 3 day pass...

"To see a world in a grain of sand and heaven in a wild flower Hold infinity in the palms of your hand and eternity in an hour..."
- William Blake

This is the sign of the covenant that I make between me and you and every living creature that is with you, for all future generations: I have set my RAINBOW in the clouds, and it shall be a sign of the covenant between me and the earth...
- Genesis 9:12~13

A card from Isaac to his mom...

"I want to know that in 50 years people will look up and know who my son was and what he stood for. He fought for our country and ultimately gave his life for. He, as well as I, have paid the ultimate sacrifice. He gave his life and I gave my son - which are big prices to pay.

A day does not go by that I wish my son was here with me. I will never forget his words to me - "Mom, always remember why I'm doing this. I'm doing this for you, the family, and our country..." Those words ring in my ears and I cannot let him down.

I hope you understand as a mother, how important this is to me. I promised my son that I would keep his memory alive. Isaac was my world, he was my baby, he was my SON..."
- Emily Toro

Emily and Isaac... a proud mom on graduation day

"Isaac Cortes was hard-headed and stubborn, but we all loved him. We will all miss the way he added his unique sense of humor to any situation. Most people never knew that Isaac and I had an ongoing friendly rivalry, but he always came out on top because he had more heart than I did..."
- Pfc. Bruno Vadala, a friend and roommate of Isaac's

A Hug Is Two Hearts Wrapped In Arms...

A part of you has grown in me. And so you see, it's you and me together forever and never apart, maybe in distance, but never in heart..

Isaac and his mom Emily going for a Limo ride...

"Since losing Isaac I have blocked a lot of things out of my mind - his wake, his burial and people that attended his funeral. Bits and pieces are starting to come back. Sometimes I just don't want to remember but other times I need to remember. It has been a long, hard, road for me and my family. I never imagined in my wildest dreams that I would be one of those moms who would lose a son to war. I read about it in the papers, I saw it in the news, I would say to myself, the pain that mother must be going through losing their child...

When Isaac enlisted and the day he was sworn in was when he whispered in my ear and said - mom I signed up to be infantry. I looked at him and I knew he would be going to Iraq. My heart sank. He said - mom don't worry this is what I want to do. Of course as a mom it's not what you want for your child to do but I respected his decision and let him go on his journey. I'm very proud of the man my son became and what he stood for. Not because his was my son, but becuase Isaac was a good person. Isaac was my gentle giant. He had a tuff character but a gentle heart. I'm not sure if you knew who Isaac was but that's a bit of who he was..."

- Emily Toro - HOOAH !!!

Since the Revolutionary War, soldiers have dedicated their lives to protecting and maintaining the pride in the U.S., and they are very important to us. We must remember that, although many soldiers did not make it through war, they are veterans, nonetheless. They deserve to be honored as much as anyone who survived.

There is not enough stone in the world to commemorate their sacrifices; not enough emotion in the world to feel what they felt, as many of them saw their human brethren give the ultimate sacrifice - their lives....

- taken from "Soldiers - Past and Present" an essay by Christopher Vincent - Milltown, NJ

This site is still under contruction, please check back often - webmaster

Thank you for visiting the Isaac T. Cortes Website

God Bless You

Gold Star Family Support Group
Hearts of America, Care Packages for Military
Moms of Military - Prayer and Support Group
The Fallen Heroes Memorial website
The Military Times "Faces of Valor" website (List of US Casualties)
Patriot Guard Riders website
CNN iwatch - Support to Troops
Operation Iraqi Freedom
War in Afghanistan 2001 - Present