A Purple Heart medal lies between a pair of boots during a memorial ceremony for Staff Sgt. Christopher Diaz’s at the Camp Leatherneck chapel, Oct. 8. Diaz, a native of El Paso, Texas, and an expert military working dog handler with II Marine Expeditionary Force Headquarters Group (Forward), Task Force Belleau Wood, died Sept. 28, 2011, while supporting combat operations in Helmand province. Diaz was deployed out of Marine Corps Air-Ground Combat Center Twentynine Palms, Calif., where he served as a handler with III MHG.