DSWD staff shares an inspiring true story of a fallen soldier and surely it will make you cry

Another story of fallen soldier, 1Lt. Junrich Legada, was posted by Ivon Domingo, a Program Development and Social marketing at DSWD was currently working in Mindanao.  Domingo said that they met in Basilan while shooting a documentary. Legada was constantly calling her “Claire”.

Domingo said that 1Lt. Legada never failed to inform them about the beautiful places in Mindanao. Their time and 1Lt. Legada’s nature of work restricted them to explore the beauty of Mindanao.



Domingo also stated that Legada was such a nice person, he never speak ill of anyone, cheerful and positive person. The only time that she saw 1Lt. Legada pissed was when he was unable to save all memorable photos of Legada because he lost his tablet. What surprised her was his outlook, that someone might need the tablet for the good cause.

As to Domingos’s description, 1Lt. Legada lived a very positive life. “… he smiled a lot. Almost everytime.” And this attitude of 1Lt. Legada was contagious and he was able to radiate everyone with his light.

Unfortunately, Domingo said that Legada was died after being succumbed with injuries while fighting the rebels in Marawi. “Thank you for your service, Legs. Thank you for selflessly sacrificing your freedom, youth, energy, and life so that others may enjoy theirs.”

Read the full post below.

1Lt. Junrich Legada | Photo from Legada's Facebook

He kept calling me Claire the first time we met in Basilan where he was deployed at that time, and I was shooting a documentary with Bala. I told him nobody calls me that name but he still kept saying it. He eventually got the habit of calling me Von instead. He was Bon and I was Von. Nevertheless, I'd always call him Legolas, or Legs for short, because of his last name.

Whenever I post a photo while working in Cotabato (or Mindanao), he'd comment or send me a message that his town was nearby and of a nice place I should visit. A proud Mindanaoan, he kept egging me to visit their majestic waterfalls. I told him he should take me and Bala there instead; he can be our tour guide. He said sure, of course; but because of the nature of their job, vacations are scarce, our plan never came to fruition.



When I couldn't contact Bala in camp for days, he'd be the one to send me an update. He'd be online when others weren't or couldn't. He said "Take-life. Para-paraan lng. Hehe!" when I asked how.

I never heard him speak ill of anyone, and he was always so cheerful and positive whenever we see each other--even when he lost his newly purchased tablet (the most recent model) which he was still paying by instalments. He was only pissed off because of all the lost photos saved in the tablet that he wasn't able to transfer to his computer. Photos of him in Basilan, photos of him during his elusive breaks from deployment--perhaps with his family or his girlfriend of 10 yrs (who I found out he was planning to propose to). Precious memories he would've wanted to keep and look back to while in deployment.

Ultimately, he said someone probably needed the tablet more and he hoped whoever took it uses the money (supposedly from selling it) for a good cause. He said it with a big smile on his face, almost chuckling.

Legs had chinky eyes that disappeared when he smiled. And he smiled a lot. Almost everytime. He had a smile we can never forget because when he smiled, all the muscles in his face seemed to smile too, he could easily break into laughter. It was ecstatic, contagious.

I'd like to think that even in his last moments, he was smiling as he looked back at his life. He lived honorably, selflessly, and fearlessly every second, up to his last.

1Lt. Junrich Legada--our dear happy friend, an Army Special Forces (SF) soldier, and a Blue Cross awardee for fighting the Abu Sayyaf Group in Basilan--passed away earlier today from sustaining major injuries while battling terrorists in Marawi city.

Thank you for your service, Legs. Thank you for selflessly sacrificing your freedom, youth, energy, and life so that others may enjoy theirs.

When I hear/read the handsome name Legolas, you and your smile will always come to mind first. 

Source: Ivon Domingo

Love this article? Sharing is caring!