-- The body of Navy Corpsman Gilbert Minjares Jr. body arrived Saturday at a small airplane hanger near El Paso International Airport.

Minjares' wife tried to hold back the tears when the body of her husband arrived. Family and friends lined the tarmac as Navy pall bearers worked to lower the casket.

"Deep down inside I hurt, but right now I can't show any signs of emotion right now," said Paul Barela, cousin of Minjares.

Barela, Minjares' cousin was assigned by the Navy to bring Minjares' personal items including his medals back to his wife.

"I have been to ceremonies, and I have seen, and I told myself I never want to be in that position. But, when it is my cousin I am definitely going to do it," Barela said.

And his family stood by him together while Minjares' body was taken away most relieved because they also have more information on how he died. As we reported the Navy now believes Minjares' helicopter, which was traveling through the Al Anbar Providence in Iraq was shot down by enemy forces.

Minjares, cousin Eddie Pedregon tells us Minjares was working at the time to help save Marines.

"They picked up blood units that were needed in a field hospital in Fallujah."

On their way to Fallujah, that's when the helicopter was shot down," Pedregon said.

While Pedregon said his family feels better knowing how Minjares died, he knows the truth of how it happened won't bring his cousin back.

But he said he is relieved that his cousin is finally back in El Paso. It's a place he said Minjares loved and never forgot.

"Gilbert was El Paso and he spoke a lot about every time he would fly in about the Star on the Mountain. That Star on the Mountain meant a lot to him, because that was his sense of home," Pedregon said.

Before the funeral there will be a few other events.

First, the family will be hosting a visitation on Monday from 3p.m until 9 p.m. There will be a Rosary on Monday at 7 p.m. All of this will be at Crestview funeral home on Zaragosa.

Tuesday, there will be a mass at 9:45 a.m. at St. Raphael Catholic Parish before the funeral at 11:30 a.m. at Fort Bliss.