Published: February 11, 2009 10:52 pm      

FALLEN SOLDIER: Lockport, schools look to honor fallen soldier

Flags flew at half-staff across the City of Lockport on Wednesday in honor of Army Pfc. Albert Jex.

Albert, a 23-year-old native of Lockport, died Monday when a suicide car bomb exploded at an Iraqi police checkpoint in the northern city of Mosul.

Since the news began spreading Tuesday, some of those who knew Albert have been at work planning tributes in his honor.

Mayor Michael Tucker said he has been in contact with Albert’s parents, Cathy MacFarlane and Nelson Jex, offering his condolences and anything else the city can do for the family.

Funeral arrangements are still pending, as the family does not yet know when Albert’s body will be returned to the U.S.

“We’ve offered a police escort for the funeral procession and anything else they would need,” Tucker said.

One of the things Albert always asked for when in Iraq was a Lockport flag.

“He wanted to fly it in Iraq, being from Lockport,” Tucker said.

The city will give a Lockport flag to the family, to use as they wish during the funeral services.

“We’ll be ready to do whatever we can for them,” Tucker said. “We’ll take their lead, and we’re going to take direction from them.”

Albert is the first Lockport native killed in the war in Iraq.

Tucker, who knows both of Albert’s parents, described the news as “shocking.”

“This is the reality,” he said. “We’re kind of insulated from war here. ... When it happens, it brings the stark reality of it all (here).”

Albert had basic training at Fort Knox, Ky., and joined the Third Battalion, 8th Calvary Regiment in Fort Hood, Texas. He drove a GTO dragster on a flat track in Texas.

Albert is also survived by his stepfather, William MacFarlane; and siblings James MacFarlane, 11, and MacKenzie Erin MacFarlane, 13. His older sister, Nicole (Jex) James, lives in Barker. He was separated from his wife, Monica Jex of Lockport.

Lockport Schools Superintendent Terry Ann Carbone remembers Albert as a young student at John Pound Elementary School.

Carbone became choked up Wednesday when talking about Albert, who she described as “everyone’s son.”

“He was our son,” she said. “He was Lockport’s son.”

Albert received his GED from Lockport after attending DeWitt Clinton, John Pound, Emmet Belknap and the Lockport Opportunity Project.

Before he was deployed, Albert returned to Emmet Belknap to speak to a social studies class about serving his country.

Carbone said many people in the district were having trouble talking about Albert’s death, including herself.

“As I tried to share the story with my husband last night, I found I couldn’t speak to it,” she said. “It's shocking. You don’t think something like this is going to hit home.”

At Lockport Opportunity Project, where Albert was a student in 2000 and 2001, administrators are planning to plant a tree in his honor and place a small granite plaque in his honor.

At Tuesday night’s boys basketball game at Lockport High School, the crowd observed a moment of silence in Albert’s honor. Carbone said the school board would observe a moment of silence at Wednesday night’s meeting, as well.

U.S. Rep. Chris Lee, R-Amherst, will be giving a speech about Jex on the floor of the House of Representatives today.

Other tributes may be in the works, but Carbone said everything is in the beginning stages. The Partners in Patriotism campaign may be planning events to memorialize Albert, she said.

“This brings it to real life, what our soldiers are doing over in Iraq and Afghanistan and around the world,” she said. “When it hits home, it’s a life lesson. It makes it a lot more real, the sacrifices so many people have made to pay the price of freedom.”

Contact reporter April Amadon at 439-9222, ext. 6251.