The daughter who became her father’s hero: Carla Jane Babayan
On Feb. 2, 2007, soldiers quietly gathered inside the Post Chapel at U.S. Army Camp Adder in southern Iraq. The room had fallen silent as they came together to honor Army Spc. Carla Jane Babayan, an Armenian American servicewoman who had given her life for the country she loved. They were not only mourning a fellow soldier, but also a friend whose kindness had brightened even the darkest days of war. During the deeply moving memorial service, Army Spc. Summer Gonzalez, one of Carla’s closest friends, struggled through tears as she said, “She could put a smile on anyone’s face, even when you didn’t feel like smiling.”
Carla Jane Babayan was born Nov. 30, 1969, in La Cañada Flintridge, California, the beloved daughter of Armenian parents Edmond Babayan and Emmy Aprahamian. She grew up in La Cañada Flintridge and Glendale, sharing countless happy memories with her brother, Richard. An exceptionally gifted ballet dancer, Carla loved animals, children and nature. Those who knew her remembered a woman whose generosity seemed effortless and whose gentle spirit left a lasting impression on everyone she met. Her mother lovingly recalled, “She cared about doing good for everybody.” While attending Hoover High School in Glendale, she even invited a friend to live with her family because the girl had nowhere else to go.
Driven by a deep devotion to her country, Carla first dreamed of joining the military at 17 but chose instead to continue her education. After graduating, she enrolled at Glendale Community College, where she pursued her passion for dance. Choreographer Patt Paczynski remembered her warmly: “Carla was great, funny, cheerful and easy to work with.” She later studied mechanical drafting before joining the structural engineering firm owned by her father.
At 25, Carla married her high school friend, Brandon Stewart. A decade later, while estranged from her husband, the dream she had carried for so many years returned with a strength she could no longer resist. As she approached the maximum enlistment age for the Army Reserve, she decided the time had finally come. In July 2004, she enlisted in the U.S. Army Reserve and was assigned to the 250th Transportation Company in El Monte, California.
Neither of her parents could understand her decision. Her mother later recalled, “I warned her that she might have to go to Iraq, but she said, ‘Mom, that’s OK,’” before adding with a smile, “This uniform feels so right.” Serving in the U.S. Army filled Carla with pride and purpose. Her joyful personality, infectious smile and genuine warmth quickly made her beloved among her fellow soldiers. Standing just 5 feet tall, she affectionately earned the nickname “Stuart Little,” after the thoughtful little mouse from the beloved children’s story.
After completing basic training at Fort Jackson, South Carolina, Carla dedicated herself to one goal: serving in war-torn Iraq as part of Operation Iraqi Freedom. There, Army Spc. Carla Stewart was assigned to transportation duties, delivering fuel, food, equipment and other vital supplies to combat forces. Before long, the sight of the tiny soldier perched atop a towering Humvee became one of the familiar images of the unit.
Even amid the hardships of war, Carla never lost the qualities that had always defined her. Fellow soldiers admired her optimism, remarkable resilience and ability to lift the spirits of those around her. “She never complained,” her commander, Capt. William Bowman, remembered. “Whether she was working as a gunner or a driver, she did her job well and with a smile on her face. When others were down, she was there to lift them up.”
Her roommate, Sgt. Anthea Duarte, echoed those sentiments: “She was the kind of person able to get along with most everyone. That says a lot about her, because in this military, and in this life, that’s not an easy thing to do.”
Day after day, Carla served with outstanding bravery and unwavering commitment until Jan. 28, 2007. On that fateful day, near Tallil in southern Iraq, the convoy vehicle in which she was traveling rolled over during combat operations. Badly wounded, she succumbed to her injuries. She was 37.
Not long afterward, there was a knock at her mother’s front door. Standing outside was a U.S. Army officer, carrying the words every military family dreads. In an instant, a daughter was gone, and a mother’s life was forever changed.
On Feb. 10, 2007, hundreds of friends, family members and fellow soldiers gathered at Forest Lawn Memorial Park in Hollywood Hills to say goodbye to a woman whose dedication and compassion had left an extraordinary mark on so many lives. Through unimaginable grief, her father, Edmond Babayan, paid a final tribute to the daughter who had become his greatest source of pride. A former Marine who immigrated to the United States at 18, he spoke with the heartbreak only a father could know. “She surprised the life out of me,” he said. “I thought I was the brave one in the family. She turned out to be the brave, the tough, the best patriot of all of us.”
