Photo by Renee DeKona

Maria Duran said when her sister breaks down and cries, she tells her to calm down. And when her other sister is overcome by guilt for getting the paperwork and helping her nephew join the army, Maria Duran tells her it’s what he wanted to do.

But sometimes Maria Duran cries, and feels the tension of waiting another day with no word on her missing son is too great a burden to bear. Then, she puts his fate in the hands of God.

“I try to hope and hope and hope and pray,” she said of her missing son, Army Sgt. Alex Jimenez of Lawrence, who was kidnapped by Iraqi insurgents May 12, 2007, and has not been seen since. “This situation is very difficult. You don’t know when you can stop. You don’t know when. Maybe now, maybe a week, maybe a month, maybe a year. . .”

Jiminez was an infantryman with the 10th Mountain Division when his unit was ambushed last year. Five soldiers were killed in the attack and three were captured: Jimenez, PFC Byron Fouty, and PFC Joseph Anzac. Only Anzac, who was found dead, has been located.

Duran said she received a letter from the Army on April 15 that told her they had not given up the hunt for Jimenez and Fouty.

“They send me a letter to let me know that they continue to search for them. I said, ‘Thank God’ because they don’t forget him or them,” Duran said.

Hundreds of motorcyclists attended a Lawrence honor ride and rally, which was organized by New England Caring for Our Military director Jim Wareing to mark the first anniversary of the soldiers’ disappearance and show their families that the nation is committed to finding them.

“It’s important to show that our community and our nation stands united with the Jimenez and Fouty family to have their sons returned home,” Wareing said. “These families continue to have to endure so much pain every day, not knowing where their sons are or whether they’re still alive.”

Duran last spoke to her son May 4, 2007, while she was vacationing in California. She knows it was not the last time she’ll hear his voice.

“I still hope and pray every day, because nobody can tell me he died. Just disappear,” she said. “They didn’t tell me he died. The best that we can do is pray for him. I hope. I hope he is still alive.”

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