Residents of Ozone Park gathered Monday evening for a candlelight vigil to honor Army Sgt. Angel Rampersad, a Queens native [1].
The event marks the community's first collective mourning for Rampersad, who was one of four American soldiers killed [2] during a deadly attack on a U.S. military base in Jordan [1].
The Ozone Park Residents Block Association organized the gathering, which began at 7 p.m. [2]. Community members and family gathered at 133-01 96th Street in Queens to pay their respects to the fallen soldier [1].
Local organizers coordinated the vigil to provide a space for grieving and remembrance before the official funeral services. The community-led event focused on the loss of a neighbor and service member who died while deployed overseas [1].
Following the candlelight vigil, funeral services for Sgt. Rampersad are scheduled to be held at the Calvary Assembly of God Church [1]. The church will serve as the venue for the final farewells as the family and military colleagues gather to honor his service [1].
The attack in Jordan that claimed the lives of four soldiers [2] has drawn attention to the risks faced by U.S. personnel stationed in the region. For the residents of Ozone Park, the tragedy is felt as a personal loss within their immediate neighborhood [1].
“Army Sgt. Angel Rampersad was one of four American soldiers killed in the fighting.”
The death of Sgt. Rampersad underscores the continued volatility for U.S. forces operating in Jordan and the surrounding region. The localized response in Queens demonstrates how geopolitical conflicts result in specific, concentrated grief within civilian communities far from the combat zone.
