Joseph Michael Hernandez was born on February 26, 1984, in Hammond, Indiana. He was the son of Elva Hernandez and Jesse Hernandez. He was married to Alison Hernandez. He graduated from Mount Carmel High School in Chicago, Illinois, in 2003, where he played soccer and also trained as a boxer at the Whiting Boxing Club. He briefly attended Holy Cross College before studying mechanical engineering and biology at Purdue University in West Lafayette, Indiana. In 2005, he decided to leave college and enlist in the U.S. Army. During his military career, he served for a time with The Old Guard, participating in military funeral ceremonies at Arlington National Cemetery. He was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 4th Infantry Regiment, based in Hohenfels, Germany, and was later deployed to Afghanistan in support of Operation Enduring Freedom.

Cpl Hernandez was killed on January 9, 2009, in Jaldak, Zabul Province, Afghanistan, when an improvised explosive device detonated near his vehicle. He is now buried in Arlington National Cemetery, Arlington, Arlington County, Virginia, USA.

Sources of information: www.findagrave.com, thefallen.militarytimes.com