The story behind this powerful photo of deported military veterans saluting the U.S. flag
Ivan Ocon
âThe boots represent the soldiers that are not here with us no more  the missing soldiers  â Ivan Ocon  said.
 Ocon  stood at the front of the group that day  with both hands to  his  sides as  he  stared into the distance.
The other men lined up horizontally behind  him   saluting.
Ocon  a 40-year-old native of Mexico  told The Washington Post that he served in the Army for seven years  and spent a few months in Iraq. The Pentagon has not verified Oconâs service to The Post  but  Ocon  provided a picture of  himself  during a reenlistment ceremony in 2001.
 Ivan Ocon  in 2001. (Courtesy of  Ivan Ocon )
 He  said  he  was deported a year and a half ago  losing  his  legal status after  he  was charged with a crime for not reporting to authorities that  his  brother had kidnapped someone.
Court records show that  Ocon  was indicted on several charges in 2006  including conspiracy to kidnap and aiding and abetting.  He  pleaded guilty and spent nearly 10 years in federal prison.
In 2016  shortly after serving  his  prison sentence   Ocon  was sent back to Mexico  a country  he  left when  he  was 7.
 He  has been living in Juarez since  in an apartment close to the border  and can see the United States from  his  window.
 Ocon  said  he  considers America  his  home â specifically  Las Cruces  N.M.  where  he  grew up  went to high school and left behind a daughter whoâs now 14. For Francisco Lopez  who was standing right behind  Ocon  in the picture  home is Wichita Falls  Tex.  where his children and grandchildren live.
âRight here  youâre basically isolated; youâre alone â  Ocon  said. âAll your friends and family you grew up with are all in the States. Everybody you know from your childhood are all there. That one mistake is who you are for the rest of your life. You can never prove youâre a good person.â
But Lopez  who turns 73 this month  has been living in Juarez for far longer than  Ocon . He was deported in 2003  after serving nine years in federal prison for drug charges. His service record could not be immediately verified  but Lopez said he served for two years in the military in the late 1960s  including a year in Vietnam.
âThe boots represent the soldiers that are not here with us no more  the missing soldiers  â  [TGT] said.
  [TGT] stood at the front of the group that day  with both hands to   [TGT]   sides as   [TGT]   stared into the distance.
The other men lined up horizontally behind  him   saluting.
 [TGT]   a 40-year-old native of Mexico  told The Washington Post that  [TGT]  served in the Army for seven years  and spent a few months in Iraq. The Pentagon has not verified Oconâs service to The Post  but   [TGT]   provided a picture of   [TGT]   during a reenlistment ceremony in 2001.
  [TGT]   in 2001. (Courtesy of  Ivan Ocon )
 He  said  he  was deported a year and a half ago  losing  his  legal status after  he  was charged with a crime for not reporting to authorities that  his  brother had kidnapped someone.
Court records show that   [TGT] was indicted on several charges in 2006  including conspiracy to kidnap and aiding and abetting.  He  pleaded guilty and spent nearly 10 years in federal prison.
In 2016  shortly after serving  his  prison sentence    [TGT] was sent back to Mexico  a country   [TGT]   left when   [TGT]   was 7.
  [TGT]   has been living in Juarez since  in an apartment close to the border  and can see the United States from   [TGT]   window.
  [TGT] said   [TGT]   considers America  his  home â specifically  Las Cruces  N.M.  where  he  grew up  went to high school and left behind a daughter whoâs now 14. For Francisco Lopez  who was standing right behind  Ocon  in the picture  home is Wichita Falls  Tex.  where his children and grandchildren live.
âRight here  youâre basically isolated; youâre alone â   [TGT] said. âAll your friends and family you grew up with are all in the States. Everybody you know from your childhood are all there. That one mistake is who you are for the rest of your life. You can never prove youâre a good person.â
But Lopez  who turns 73 this month  has been living in Juarez for far longer than  Ocon . He was deported in 2003  after serving nine years in federal prison for drug charges. His service record could not be immediately verified  but Lopez said he served for two years in the military in the late 1960s  including a year in Vietnam.