Andy Jimenez of Lawrence spent Memorial Day weekend in Washington, D.C., meeting with President George Bush, touring the Pentagon, and watching, just a few feet away, as Bush placed a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknowns at Arlington National Cemetery.
"You haven't experienced a Memorial Day until you go to Washington," Jimenez said in a telephone interview last night from Washington. "It's something to see."
Jimenez, 55, is the father of Sgt. Alex Jimenez, who was captured May 12, 2007, along with Pvt. Byron Fouty of Michigan, in Iraq in an ambush by insurgents linked to al-Qaida. The body of a third soldier, Pfc. Joseph Anzack Jr. of California, was recovered two weeks later.
Jimenez, a construction worker, his former wife, Maria Duran, and their youngest son, Bryant, both of Queens, N.Y., drove nine hours with Jim Sereigo-Wareing of Methuen, to participate in Memorial Day ceremonies.
Sereigo-Wareing, founding director of New England Caring for the Military, arranged the meeting for the Jimenez and Fouty families.
Fouty's mother, Hilary, and his stepfather, Gordy Dibler, also were in Washington.
At the Pentagon, there was a display case focusing on prisoners of wars and one slide show featured Jimenez and Fouty.
When Duran met Bush, she said she had one simple request: "I reminded him to continue looking for my son," she said.
Duran said she believes Bush heard her pleas.
"The whole time I was there, I thought of my son and asked God to protect him wherever he is," she said.
Jimenez considered the meeting with Bush a success. "He told us he would not leave our soldiers behind," he said, adding he was reassured by the president's words.
"In my heart and in my mind, I know he is alive because there is no evidence to say otherwise," Jimenez said. "I know he is alive somewhere."
Jimenez and Duran said they held their composure as they attended the many events during the weekend, which included breakfast at the White House.
In addition to meeting Bush and touring the Pentagon, they took part in a candlelight ceremony at the Vietnam War Memorial and a salute to the troops at the reflecting pool across from the Lincoln Memorial sponsored by the Rolling Thunder motorcycle group.
Jimenez's parents addressed those gathered at the Lincoln Memorial.
The only time Jimenez broke down was when Bryant placed his hands on his father's shoulders as they were looking at a POW flag by a Massachusetts contingent of Rolling Thunder.
"Alex used to do the same and I thought of him then," Jimenez said. "My faith continues to grow every day because I know I'll see him one day."
Jimenez said this Memorial Day was completely different from last year, as they had just found out about their son's capture.
"We were anxious and did not know what to expect. The support we received helped."
