Jesse Aliganga

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Sergeant Jesse Nathanael Aliganga, was a United States Marine Security Guard, serving at the American Embassy in Nairobi, Kenya. On August 7, 1998, at the age of 21, Sergeant Aliganga was killed by a car-bomb explosion, along with eleven fellow Americans, in the terrorist attack later determined to be conducted by Osama bin Laden and the Al Qaeda network.

Sergeant Aliganga attended High School in Tallahassee, Florida. After graduation, in 1994, he enlisted in the United States Marine Corps. Sergeant Aliganga attended Marine Corps basic training at the Marine Corps Recruit Depot in Parris Island, South Carolina. Thereafter, he trained as a communication specialist at the Marine Air Ground Combat Center in 29 Palms, California and at the Keesler Air Force Base in Biloxi, Mississippi. After training, he was stationed at the Marine Corps Base in Okinawa, Japan.

In early January 1998, based on recommendations from his superiors, Sergeant Aliganga was sent to the elite Marine Security Guard School, in Quantico, Virginia. Upon completing the rigorous training, Sergeant Aliganga requested the American Embassy in Nairobi, Kenya. In late February 1998, his request was approved and he was assigned to one tour of special duty at the United States Embassy in Kenya, where he served until his untimely death on August 7, 1998.

After his death, Sergeant Aliganga was awarded the Purple Heart Medal. He is buried at the Arlington National Cemetery.