Michael D. Acklin II was a man of quiet peace who had dreamed of joining the ministry and hoped to attend Bible college after the Army. He "fought the good fight of a soldier and he fought the good fight of faith," said Bishop Michael Ford Sr., his pastor.

"He fought and died trusting in Jesus," Michael Acklin Sr. said of his son. "That was what motivated his life."

Acklin, 25, of Louisville, Ky., died Nov. 15 when two Black Hawk helicopters collided in Iraq. He was stationed at Fort Campbell.

When Acklin had come home from Army training, it was clear he had matured.

"My husband would always tell his grandson, 'You're not a man until you go in the service. The service will make a man out of you,'" Barbara Acklin said. "And when Michael entered and when he did come back home, we saw that change."

Acklin is also survived by his mother.

The twin explosions that killed Genaro Acosta on Veterans Day destroyed even his wedding ring, but they left his gold cross intact.

"Everywhere he went, he would not take that cross off," his brother Fernando Acosta said. "He was a very strong believer in God."

Acosta, 26, of Fair Oaks, Calif., was killed Nov. 11 when his vehicle hit two explosives in Taji, Iraq. He was stationed at Fort Hood.

The avid Los Angeles Lakers fan with a fondness for the cartoon character Scooby Doo "felt very strongly about helping other people out," Fernando Acosta said. He re-enlisted this year despite his concern over the dangers because "he figured it was the right thing to do," his brother said.

"I know that he did not die in vain," said his widow, Roxanne Longoria Acosta. "He was proud of what he did."

As Steven Acosta was preparing to serve in Iraq, his older brother Gerardo was just returning from the same war.

"I just wish I could see him again, and just be with him like we used to be before," said Gerardo Acosta, a Marine stationed at Camp Pendleton.

Steven Acosta, a 19-year-old supply clerk from Calexico, Calif., died Oct. 26 from a gunshot wound in a nonhostile incident in Baqubah, Iraq. He was stationed at Fort Hood.

Acosta enlisted in the Army after graduating from high school last year, before his older brother had a chance to talk to him about becoming a Marine. Gerardo Acosta last saw his brother over Christmas when he returned from boot camp.

The second-youngest of five brothers, Steven was sentimental and outgoing. His friends would regularly gather at the Acosta home, bringing their guitars to play punk rock while Steven kept the beat on the drums.

James F. Adamouski knew that his mother worried when he flew helicopters. So he frequently reassured her: "I'll be safe, and I'll fly low, and I'll fly fast."

"I wanted him in tanks," Judy Adamouski said. "But he'd always tell me, 'Mom, the Black Hawk is the safest helicopter the Army has.'"

Adamouski, 29, died April 2 in a helicopter crash in central Iraq. He was stationed at Hunter Army Airfield.

A native of Springfield, Va., and high school class president, Adamouski played soccer at West Point and at the semiprofessional level when stationed in Germany.

"Anything with a ball he loved," said Meighan Adamouski, his wife of seven months. "He drove me nuts watching sports, but he let me watch the Home and Garden Network. I used to ask God why I was so lucky to have been given such a great husband."

Adamouski had just been accepted to Harvard Business School and planned to teach economics at West Point after earning a master's degree.

Algernon Adams earned a Purple Heart in Iraq in August when he was one of four engineers wounded when they were hit by shrapnel.

A few months later, Adams, 36 and a member of the South Carolina National Guard, died Oct. 28 at a base near Fallujah of a gunshot wound. His death is under investigation.

"He was just a good son," his mother, Ann Brown, said. "He went and did his duty and he was there for his country."

Adams graduated from high school in Augusta, Ga., and had served in the Guard for about 17 years, his mother said. He lived in North Augusta, S.C.

Adams is also survived by his wife, Lisa.

Although they were eight years apart, Michael and Matt Adams were always close. After the younger Michael went into the Army, and following the Sept. 11 attacks, his older brother decided to join, too.

"Michael loved it, and that's why I do," said the 28-year-old Matt Adams, who is stationed in South Korea.

Michael Adams, 20, died Aug. 21 from smoke inhalation when a fire erupted in a building during a training exercise in Iraq. Adams, of Spartansburg, S.C., was stationed in Germany.

Adams joined the Army in 2001 after graduation from high school.

"Michael was an unassuming fellow with a wonderful big, big, smile," said Gloria Close, Adams' guidance counselor. "He gave his best at every thing he did."

Adams is also survived by his parents and a sister.

From the time he was a boy, Thomas Mullen Adams wanted to know all he could about ships and planes.

"A look in his room at the models and posters was only part of the story," said his uncle, Richard Adams. "Even when he was in elementary school he could describe in remarkable detail the performance and history of each."

Adams, 27, of La Mesa, Calif., was killed March 22 in a helicopter collision over the Persian Gulf. He had served since October as an exchange officer to the British Royal Navy's 849 Squadron.

A 1997 graduate of the Naval Academy, Adams was passionate about soccer. In 2002, he volunteered to go with the aircraft carrier Kitty Hawk to Japan, where he knew the World Cup finals would be played.

"He's the kind of kid that if you had a very special daughter, you would hope that she could snag him," said his aunt, Elizabeth Hansen.

Jamaal R. Addison's unit, the 507th Maintenance Company, hadn't expected to encounter combat. But Addison's father said he had the leadership skills to handle military challenges.

"He was looked up to by his sister and by myself, even though I'm his father," Kevin Addison said. "In upcoming years he was going to be the leader of the family."

Addison, 22, of Roswell, Ga. was killed in an ambush March 23.

He was deployed to Iraq just after his wedding to Tek'la, and they have a 2-year-old son and 3-year-old daughter.

When President Bush issued a 48-hour ultimatum for Saddam Hussein to leave Iraq, Addison called his wife and parents.

"He had reservations; he had a vision," his father said. "In an indirect way, he may have been saying goodbye."

Tristan N. Aitken's mother said she and her son clashed on the merits of war in Iraq, but the two always found room for each other's opinions.

"He told me it was his job," Ruth Aitken said. "He thought the protesters should say what they believed, but he had to do what he had to do, too."

Aitken, 31, of State College, Pa., was killed April 4 by a rocket-propelled grenade. He was based at Fort Stewart.

Aitken came from a military family his father spent 20 years in the Navy Reserve and his younger sister was commissioned as a second lieutenant after completing ROTC.

He played soccer and basketball and ran track at Centre County Christian Academy, then studied premed at Texas Christian University and won the Distinguished Military Graduate medal. A former Eagle Scout, Aitken also enjoyed working with children and taught riflery at a Boy Scout camp.

Ronald D. Allen Jr. was a young man of exuberant tastes maybe a little too exuberant at times. But that was far outweighed by the depth of his friendships.

"He played his music too loud," said Spc. Travis Rollins, "(but) to us he was a friend. I don't trust many people, but I knew I could count on Allen."

Allen, 22, of Mitchell, Ind., was killed Aug. 25 in a traffic accident in northern Iraq. He had jumped out of his Humvee to repair a flat tire and was fatally injured when another vehicle spun out.

Family members say Allen was so eager to join the military he enlisted during his junior year of high school and hoped to eventually become a state trooper.

"It doesn't surprise me that he was the first to get out of that truck and fix the tire," said Capt. Jessica Murnock, Allen's commander. "He was a quiet soldier but he was a hard worker."

Glenn Richard Allison had only a few months to spend with his family between returning from a tour of duty in South Korea in September and leaving for Iraq, but he did fit in a special duty for his sister.

"Our mother raised us alone, so he gave me away at my wedding," Jon's Allison-Cardoso said. "We'll always have that."

Allison, 24, of Pittsfield, Mass., and stationed at Fort Drum, died in Baghdad on Dec. 18 during a physical training exercise, less than a week after arriving in Iraq. His sister said the family was told he died of heart failure.

Allison played high school football, then quickly joined the Army at age 17.

"He had a daughter and he wanted to make sure he had a way to support her," his sister said.

She said he showed off his desert fatigues before he left.

"He was proud of having people to look after, proud of being in charge of other people," Allison-Cardoso said.

Brian E. Anderson was always ready to give a hand, or his time, or his money. He just wanted to help.

"Anything he had, he was willing to give it to others," said his mother, Charlene Roberson. "He was always valuing other people."

Anderson, 26, of Durham, N.C., died April 2 in Iraq while manning a machine gun atop a truck. As the truck passed under some low-hanging power lines, Anderson lifted them to prevent them from snagging the truck and endangering others, the Rev. J.C. Cheek said.

"Most of us would have jumped off the truck, but not Brian," Cheek said. "He saw the danger that the wire was about to make for the truck."

Anderson joined the Marines after graduating in 1996 from high school, where he played football, ran track and wrestled. He helped the wrestling team win the state championship in 1995.

"He would leave it all on the mat, whether he won or lost," said wrestling coach Jim Key. "You knew he always gave 110 percent."

Michael Andrade loved to sing and everyone knew it. He used to sing along with the radio while he was on the job at JRA Collision Center in Bristol, R.I., and he was a big fan of karaoke.

"When he went to boot camp, he left a tape of some of the songs that he liked to sing," said office manager Denise Suitter.

Andrade, 28, a National Guardsman from Warren, R.I., died Sept. 24 when the Humvee he was in was struck by a fuel vehicle north of Baghdad.

A volunteer firefighter with the Bristol Fire Department, Andrade was married and had a 14-year-old stepson.

"He was a very good soldier. He was always just a nice person," said Sgt. John Cervone, assigned to the same armory as Andrade. "Everybody would say how devoted he was to his family."

The Army was Edward J. Anguiano's ticket to see the world. Anguiano was a bit of a loner in high school, but leaving the small South Texas town of Los Fresnos brought out the best in him.

After joining the Army and earning the rank of sergeant, Anguiano decided he wanted to live in the Rio Grande Valley and improve his family's lot.

"It's always been about my mom," said his sister Jennifer, 19. Their mother, San Juanita, is a single mother and it's been tough at times to make ends meet. "It's so sad. He's changed so much. And then this had to happen."

Anguiano, 24, was based at Fort Stewart but traveling with the Fort Bliss-based 507th when it was attacked March 23. He enlisted in the Army two years ago, a few years after graduating from high school.

"He's set such a good example," his sister said. "He got into the Army and showed us that the sky is the limit."

Andrew T. Arnold hadn't been able to talk with his wife since he left for Iraq. Finally, he made contact and said he expected to be home within three months.

"He had just called his wife on Easter morning and he told her that he had two more days in Iraq then on to Kuwait to work on howitzers," said Charlotte Coin, a neighbor of Arnold's parents in Spring, Texas.

Arnold, 30, based at Camp Lejeune, died April 22 in a grenade launcher accident in Iraq.

Survivors include his wife, Lisa, 9-year-old son Austin and 5-year-old daughter Jessica.

Arnold, whose father and grandfather also served in the Marines, joined up right after high school, Coin said. "He did what he thought was right," Coin said.

Evan Asa Ashcraft believed in his mission in Iraq and hoped to become a police officer when he returned home. It was part of what he was all about.

"He was a person who really wanted to help other people, to protect them," said his wife, Ashley Ashcraft.

Ashcraft, 24, of Oak Grove, Ky., was one of three 101st Airborne soldiers killed July 24 when their convoy was attacked. He was stationed at Fort Campbell.

"He absolutely wanted to be there," said his father, Asa. "In his last letter, he said, 'Dad, I've seen an awful lot of stuff. We'll talk about it when I get back.'"

A native of California's San Fernando Valley, Ashcraft planned to join the Los Angeles Police Department upon his scheduled January discharge from the Army. He especially aspired to the SWAT team.

"And he would have made it, too," his father said. "He set goals and achieved them."

Jay Thomas Aubin was so kind, so friendly that his Marine buddies nicknamed him "Sweet Pea."

"He could make a 7-year-old girl feel like she was as important as President Bush," said his mother, Nancy Chamberlain.

Aubin, 36, died March 21 in a helicopter crash in Kuwait, near the Iraqi border. He was stationed in Yuma, Ariz., and lived there with his wife, Rhonda, and their children, 10-year-old Alicia and 7-year-old Nathan.

He grew up in Skowhegan, Maine, and joined the Marines after high school. He served four years before going to the University of Southern Maine, then re-enlisted after graduation.

"When he was 4 years old, we all went to the airport and he had sat on one of my airplanes like a grown man," said his father, Tom Aubin, who operates a small air strip in Texas.

Last summer, Aubin thought he would be going to Iraq and asked his stepmother, Carol, to protect his father, who has a bad heart.

Matthew J. August said he believed he could make the world safer for future generations by fighting in Iraq, his father said.

"You can't really weigh the life of your child in terms of what our country's needs are, but I think he believed in what West Point taught duty, honor, country," said Richard August.

August, 28, of North Kingstown, R.I., died Jan. 27 when a roadside bomb exploded next to a convoy in Khaldiyah, Iraq. He was based at Fort Riley.

He was an avid outdoorsman and a great trout fisherman, his family said. Officials from August's high school described him as a quiet leader who distinguished himself with difficult coursework.

At West Point, August met his wife, Maureen, and they married in 1998. August's mother, Donna, said her son was protective of his wife, who also was serving in Iraq.

"He doted on her," she said.

Andrew Julian Aviles put off a full academic scholarship to Florida State University because he felt he had a moral obligation to serve.

"He was a born leader, mature beyond his years, smart and articulate," said his sister, Kristine, 21. "He always had big dreams, big aspirations and loved his family and friends deeply."

Aviles, 18, of Tampa, Fla., was killed April 7 when an enemy artillery round struck his vehicle.

His sister said she last talked with her brother when he was training and they discussed plans for a trip with their 17-year-old brother, Matthew.

As a high school senior Aviles was a class president, a cheerleader and a member of the wrestling team. A National Honor Society member, he graduated third in his class.

"This man had a phenomenal presence in this school. He was Mr. Everything," said Chuck Jaksec, who leads the school district's crisis intervention team.

Henry A. Bacon delayed his retirement so he could serve in Iraq. After being stationed in Germany during the first Gulf War, he was looking forward to being on the front lines.

"I want to go do my job just one time before I get out," his daughter Tabitha Bonilla recalled him saying.

The 45-year-old mechanical maintenance supervisor from Wagram, N.C., died Feb. 20 in Dujayl, Iraq, when he was hit by one vehicle while repairing another. He was stationed at Fort Hood.

Bacon was raised on Army posts while his father served in the military. "I had tried to get him to retire before anything happened in Iraq," Robert Bacon said of his son. "He said, 'Dad, I went into the service to fight for my country.'"

The 21-year veteran had hoped to get home in time to see his 17-year-old son, Keith, graduate from high school in May. When they last spoke, Bacon told his wife, Ethel, he was scheduled to leave Iraq soon.

"All he was talking about was, 'Baby, the next time you hear from me, I'll be in Kuwait. I'll be out of this country,'" she said.

As his older sister remembers it, Andrew Joseph Baddick never thought twice before rushing to help someone.

"He feared nothing," Elizabeth Hoherchak said. "Nothing. There was no hesitation in him."

Baddick, 26, of Jim Thorpe, Pa., drowned Sept. 29 when he tried to rescue another soldier whose vehicle had plunged into a canal in Iraq. He was stationed at Fort Bragg.

Baddick had been serving in Afghanistan before going to Iraq a few months ago, said Charles McHugh, a family friend.

"I knew the boy all his life; I watched him grow up," McHugh said. "All he wanted to do was be in the Army and be a paratrooper, and he succeeded."

Daniel Bader wasn't afraid of going to war, his wife says. He had greater concerns.

"The thing that scared him most was when we had our little girl. She was so tiny and so fragile," said Tiffany Bader of Fort Carson, Colo.

Bader was one of 16 soldiers killed in the Nov. 2 downing of a helicopter carrying troops home from Iraq on leave. His daughter, Taryn Makenzie, was 14 months old when he died.

"It hasn't hit me yet, that I'm not going to have a husband. That I'm a widow at 30. That my little girl is going to be raised without a father," Tiffany Bader said.

Bader, 28, joined the National Guard shortly after high school graduation and then joined the Army when he was 18.

"He loved it, absolutely loved the military," his wife said.

"If I could compare him to anybody, it would be Jim Carey; that was the type of humor my husband had," she said.

As an associate minister, Nathan J. Bailey said he hoped to rid the neighborhood around his church of drugs. As a maintenance worker for public housing projects in Nashville, Tenn., he was always on-call.

"Whenever he was needed, he was always the one they would call," said his friend Sherrell Batey. "Nathan would always go, no matter the hour and no matter the weather."

Bailey, 46, died Nov. 12 of a nonhostile gunshot wound while on guard duty at Camp Arifjan in Kuwait. The Army is investigating. His National Guard company was based in Tullahoma, Tenn.

Bailey sang with the Tennessee chapter of Gospel Music Worship of America, but his family teased him for not always having the best rhythm when clapping, said Robbie Snapp, his sister.

The anti-drug program Bailey planned to work on will likely be named for him, said his pastor, Freeman Jeter.

"One of the last times one of the members spoke to him, he let them know he was in a safe area and that he had gotten stronger in the Lord," Jeter said.

Survivors include his wife, Pat.

Ryan Travis Baker was so passionate about the helicopters he served on as crew chief and gunner that he would talk to his mother in great detail about the vehicles.

"I can tell you anything you want to know about them," Victoria Baker said.

Baker, 24, of Browns Mills, N.J., died Nov. 15 when two Black Hawk helicopters collided in Iraq. He was based at Fort Campbell.

When Baker's father died of a heart attack in October, he returned from Iraq to be with his family. His last words to his mother before he left were to not worry about him.

"He was my best friend in the whole world," his mother said.

Baker was itching to return to Iraq and to his crew members, his uncle Michael Ewing said. "He told us when he left, 'We will get Saddam,'" Ewing said.

Chad E. Bales was happy-go-lucky, popular and responsible.

"Chad was the type of man who did whatever needed to be done," said Billy-Bob Walker, a former high school football teammate in Coahoma, Texas. "He never complained and always pulled his share."

Bales, 20, a logistics vehicle system operator stationed at Camp Pendleton, died April 3 in a vehicle accident in Iraq.

"We want to tell everybody how proud of him we were and how proud of him we still are," said his stepfather, John Wayne Metcalf.

Bales' death hit hard in Coahoma, a town of 1,000 about 250 miles west of Dallas. The school's football coach, Robert Wood, called him a "go-getter."

"He gave great effort in everything he did and was always willing to play his role," Wood said.

Solomon C. Bangayan made his parents proud by joining the service shortly after moving to the United States from his native Philippines.

Bangayan, 24, lived briefly in the town of Jay, Vt., with his mother, Helen, his stepfather, Victor Therrien, and his younger sister, Hilda. He obtained a permanent residency visa, then joined the Army.

"We were just so proud of him coming from the Philippines for just a short time and wanting to serve the United States," Therrien said. "Coming from another country, he appreciated what we have here."

Bangayan, based at Fort Bragg, was killed Jan. 2 when his convoy was ambushed.

Friends and family said Bangayan wanted to go to nursing school and was weeks away from finishing his military service.

The military was Dominic R. Baragona's career, but his family was his life.

He especially liked Christmas and always made a big deal of getting the family together, said his father, Dominic Baragona of St. George Island, Fla.

"Every Christmas he was the guy who put it all together," his father said. "He was the one who spent the most on Christmas presents. That was his style."

Baragona, 42, of Niles, Ohio, was killed May 19 in a vehicle accident in Iraq. He was commanding officer of the 19th Maintenance Battalion at Fort Sill, Okla.

Baragona and his father had talked by satellite phone shortly before his death.

"He told me, 'Things are looking good we're rolling out of here in two days,'" his father said.

Baragona, a 1982 West Point graduate, was one of seven children and an avid football and baseball fan. His middle name, Rocco, was chosen for Indians slugger Rocky Colavito, and he went by the nickname Rocky.

Jonathan P. Barnes wanted what was best for his family and figured the military was the best way to accomplish that. He took law enforcement classes in the service and hoped to eventually become a state trooper.

"He wanted to find a way to better his education and also support his family better," said his sister, Kim Riley. "He chose to join the military. He thought that way, not only would he have housing for them but that he would be a better provider."

Barnes, 21, of Coweta, Okla, died July 26 in a grenade attack while guarding a hospital in Iraq. He was based at Fort Hood and is survived by his wife, Amanda, and 2-year-old daughter.

"He wrote several letters and always said there was nothing to worry about," Riley said. "He asked every time about his house because we were to take care of the grass and the bills. And he always asked about family."

Michael Paul Barrera had a matter-of-fact outlook on military life: "He always told me he was just doing his job. That's just the way my son was," said his mother, Hilda Guardiola.

"He would say he was my No. 1 tanker and my No. 1 son. Well, No. 1 son, first, tanker second, he would add," she said. "He loved being a tanker."

Barrera, 26, of Von Ormy, Texas, died Oct. 28 when the Abrams tank he was in struck an explosive north of Baghdad. He was stationed at Fort Hood.

Barrera enlisted in the Army after his 1995 high school graduation and was deployed to Iraq on April 9.

"It makes me very angry because there was no need for us to be there, but it makes me very proud because he believed in what he was doing," his mother said. "He loved his job and he died for his country."

When his squad leader lost his balance and fell from a patrol boat into Iraq's Tigris River, Todd M. Bates plunged in to try to rescue him.

"Todd always wanted to be somebody," said the Rev. Don Cordery, the soldier's high school football team chaplain. Bates succeeded in that goal, Cordery said, becoming "an American hero."

The 20-year-old gunner from Bellaire, Ohio, drowned along with Staff Sgt. Aaron Reese on Dec. 10. Both were members of the 135th Military Police Company, based in the Cleveland suburb of Brook Park.

Bates wrote his grandmother from Iraq, telling the woman who raised him that he was grateful for his upbringing. "He said when he saw the kids over there he appreciated all the things he had," Shirley Bates said.

"The selfless sacrifice of Specialist Bates is incredible," said Maj. Gen. John Smith, adjutant general of Ohio.

In his tiny hometown of St. Anne, Ill., Ryan Anthony Beaupre was known for his unruly red hair and easy smile. He was the type to surrender his turn on the phone to other Marines with wives and children back home.

"He cared about all the Marines," said Capt. Dale S. Rolen, who knew Beaupre at Camp Pendleton.

Beaupre, 30, died in a helicopter crash March 21. A graduate of Illinois Wesleyan University, he joined the Marine Corps in 1995.

His high school track coach, Ken Klipp, said Beaupre never shrank from a challenge and had a "light-up-the-room smile."

"As it spread across his face, it melted your heart," Klipp said.

In a letter to his parents, dated four days before he died, Beaupre wrote that he worried about the Iraqi people.

"I hope they will simply give up," he wrote, "for I feel that many of them will die for a dictator who doesn't care one bit about them."

Gregory A. Belanger had big blue eyes and a mischievous nature but it was in the kitchen where he really sparkled.

"He was a whiz," said his mother, Cathy. "He was creative and could take whatever was in the refrigerator and pull out this gourmet dish from his soul and his head."

Belanger, 24, of Narragansett, R.I., died Aug. 27 when the convoy he was in was attacked in Iraq. He had enlisted in the Army Reserve and was called up to active duty shortly after the terrorist attacks on Sept. 11, 2001, said his father, Ed.

Belanger graduated from Johnson and Wales University in Providence, R.I., in 2001 with an associate degree in culinary arts before entering the Army as a cook. He was pursuing a bachelor's degree in food service management.

Aubrey D. Bell was a father figure to the four children of his fiancee, Philandria Ezell, and had the kind of personality that drew children to him.

"Oh, the kids would eat him up," said Maj. Andy Davis, who served in Honduras with Bell. "Kids always were climbing on him. He was a big ol' gentle giant. There was never a cross word out of his mouth."

Bell's grandmother, Estella Walker Bell, tried to talk about him between tearful pauses.

"He was a quiet child," she said. "And ... anything I asked of him to do, he would do it."

Bell, 33, of Tuskegee, Ala., was killed Oct. 27 when his unit came under small arms fire at a police station in Baghdad.

One of three brothers, Bell worked at Russell Corp. in Montgomery, Ala. He was a veteran of the first Gulf War and had been in the National Guard about 14 years.

Wilfred D. Bellard was proud to be in the military and ready to fight in Iraq.

"He told me he loved it and was ready to go to Iraq and get the job done," said his mother, Janet Brooks.

Bellard, 20, of Lake Charles, La., and based at Fort Stewart, died April 4 when the vehicle he was riding in fell into a ravine.

Bellard, who was named after his grandfather, graduated from high school in Georgia. His family traveled all over the country, according to his mother.

He is survived by a wife, Letricia, and a young son. His wife was expecting when he died.

When he was sent to Iraq, "he was upset because he knew he was going to miss the baby being born," Letricia Bellard said.

The three Bellavia brothers all ended up in public service jobs. Joseph was a military policeman while his twin brother, Jonathan, was a police officer. Their brother Chris is a paramedic and volunteer firefighter.

"We were like the Three Stooges. There was never a dull moment," Jonathan Bellavia said.

Joseph Bellavia, 28, was one of three Fort Campbell soldiers killed Oct. 16 in a clash with gunmen guarding the headquarters of a Shiite cleric in Karbala in southern Iraq.

Bellavia and his wife, Christine, lived in Hendersonville, Ky., where his twin brother is a police officer. Bellavia entered the Army in 1995 after graduating from high school in Wakefield, Mass.

Jonathan and Chris Bellavia now view their public service as something they do in their brother's honor.

"Joe had the world depending on him. He would not want us to let anyone down," Jonathan Bellavia said. "I have the citizens of Hendersonville depending on me, and Chris has the citizens of Portland (Ky.) depending on him."

William M. Bennett is remembered by colleagues as a man of contradictions: a fitness buff who enjoyed a good cigar, a challenger of authority who respected decisions he disagreed with.

Master Sgt. Jeff Mason said Bennett came across as cocky when they first met, but he soon learned: "Bill not only talked the talk, he walked the walk."

Bennett spoke his mind, but his loyalty was never in doubt, Mason said.

Bennett, 35, was killed Sept. 12 in a firefight in Ramadi, Iraq. He was a Green Beret stationed at Fort Campbell and lived in Seymour, Tenn., with his wife, Allison, and their son, Seth.

Bennett entered the Army in December 1986. He also served in the 1991 Persian Gulf War and Afghanistan.

"Bill honored God, his country, Special Forces, his teammates, his family by always setting an esteemed example in all aspects of his life," said Sgt. 1st Class Steve Ferrell.

Robert T. Benson enjoyed playing sports and spending time with his family.

"He was a good man and an excellent soldier," said Sean Sorin, a fellow soldier. "He will never be forgotten."

Benson, 20, died Nov. 4 of a nonhostile gunshot wound sustained at a checkpoint in Iraq. He was based at Smith Barracks, Germany.

He was born in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho, and attended schools in Spokane, Wash. Benson joined the Army in July 2001, shortly after graduating from high school. He married a high school classmate, Aimee Hiatt, last December.

"I wish Bobby could have had children," his stepsister, Alexandra, said. "I wish he could have seen his brothers and sisters get married."

Valedictorian at his suburban Philadelphia high school and fifth in his class at the U.S. Military Academy, David R. Bernstein had the intelligence and ambition to do anything he wanted.

"What he wanted was to do something for his country," said his father, Richard Bernstein of Knoxville, Tenn.

Bernstein, 24, assigned to the 173rd Infantry Brigade based in Italy, was killed Oct. 18 when his patrol came under fire 160 miles north of Baghdad.

Bernstein, who grew up in Austin, Texas, and moved to Phoenixville, Pa., was "an athlete and a scholar," his father said. He was a swim team member at West Point and enjoyed running, bicycling and competing in triathlons.

"David was a soldier," his father said. "If the leadership made decisions, then he tried to follow them. He appreciated serving his country."

Joel L. Bertoldie sent an e-mail to his family from Iraq, talking about how much he looked forward to coming home. "He missed his family," said his mother, Debi.

Hours after sending that note, Bertoldie died killed July 18 when a bomb detonated beneath his vehicle. The 20-year-old from Independence, Mo., was stationed at Fort Stewart.

Bertoldie had made good grades in high school and wanted to become a marine biologist, said his grandmother, Judy Hampshire. She remembers him as a bright, outgoing kid who loved riding self-propelled skis and teasing his grandparents over why his favorite team the Dallas Cowboys was so much better than the Kansas City Chiefs.

"He was just pretty happy-go-lucky. If he wanted to do something, he did it. He didn't hold back." said Debi Bertoldie.

He is survived by a 10-month-old son, Jesse.

Stephen A. Bertolino was a man who would do anything to help others from fellow soldiers to strangers.

"He could never drive past anyone stopped on the road without stopping to help them," said his wife, Susan Bertolino. His fellow soldiers told his wife how Bertolino worked to get them hot water, a luxury not all platoons had.

Bertolino, 40, was killed Nov. 29 when his cargo truck was ambushed in Haditha, Iraq. He grew up in El Cajon, Calif., and was stationed at Fort Carson.

Bertolino, who followed in the footsteps of his father and his grandfather by joining the military, volunteered as a reserve deputy sheriff while stationed at Hunter Army Airfield.

"He wanted to give service to the community in which he lived," said fellow officer Judy Tyree.

Bertolino deployed to Iraq in March, days after burying his mother, who had died of cancer.

He is survived by his wife and four children: Stephen Anthony Jr., 13; Daniel, 12; Karina, 7; and Jason, 6.

An Army Reservist whose civil affairs battalion was helping to restore order in Iraq, Mark A. Bibby called his parents recently to talk about a fishing trip planned for his return home.

"He kept telling me, 'Dad, I'm not in harm's way; we're just out there helping civilians,'" Eustace Bibby said.

Bibby, 25, of Watha, N.C., was killed July 21 when a roadside bomb exploded as his convoy was en route to a water treatment facility.

Bibby served four years of active duty in the Army then left for college but stayed in the reserves. He was a sophomore transportation major at North Carolina A&T State University.

Cathy Cornelius, an administrative assistant at the university, said she had talked with Bibby about his deployment to Iraq.

"He said to me, 'Mrs. Cornelius, don't worry about me. I would rather go because I have the experience,'" she said.

Benjamin Biskie was known for his philosophy on life: Lighten up.

"He liked doing anything that made life a little bit less serious," said his sister, Andrea Brown of Tucson, Ariz. "He was the type of person that, if you met him for five minutes, you knew that you would never forget him.

Biskie, 27, of Tucson died along with two other soldiers while traveling near the Iraqi town of Samara on Dec. 24.

Biskie joined the Army nine years ago, after graduating from high school, and was stationed at Fort Leonard Wood.

Survivors include his wife, Marcie, and 6-year-old son, Benjamin Jr.

"He loved his family and friends and serving in the United States Army," his wife said. "He was proud of his country, and he fully believed in his mission in Iraq."

Michael E. Bitz was a daredevil drifter before he joined the Marines that's how his mother sees it. The military, she says, turned his life around.

Bitz remarried and started a new family. In February, he became the father of twins he would never hold.

Bitz, 31, from Ventura, Calif., and based at Camp Lejeune, was killed in combat March 23.

His mother, Donna Bellman, said she encouraged her son to join the Marines because he had been without direction for several years after he graduated from high school. "The Marines did a wonderful thing for him," she said.

Her son was an athlete, she said. And more than a bit of a daredevil.

"If it looked dangerous, he wanted to try it," Bellman said. "He always wanted to go to the highest slide and swing the highest of anybody and jump the highest."

Bitz and his wife, Janina, son Joshua, 2, and the twins he never saw lived in Jacksonville, N.C. He also has a 7-year-old son, Christian.

Jarrod Black wasn't able to talk with his family in Peru, Ind., very often. But two days before he died, he got a chance to call home.

"He said he loved me and he was being safe. Then he called his dad at work and got to speak with him for a little while," said his mother, Jane Black. "God wanted me to have one more conversation with my son."

Black, 26, died Dec. 12 in Ramadi, Iraq, when insurgents detonated a bomb alongside a road. He was stationed at Fort Riley and his brother, Brandon, has served in Iraq since February.

Black and his wife, Shawna, found out recently they were to be the parents of their first child together, a girl, in April. He also was the father of two sons, ages 2 and 3, from a previous relationship.

Bill Shuey, a longtime English teacher at Peru High School, said much of the community would mourn Black's death.

"Jarrod was a huge (Peru) Tiger fan," Shuey said. "He was always in the front row cheering on Peru, supporting the Tigers. He was an energetic young man who was full of life."

Thomas A. Blair was a free spirit who tempered his shyness with a strong will, someone who would "give the shirt right off his back if he could help you," in the words of older brother Al Blair.

"He said he was proud of what he was doing, proud of where he was at, and he was doing the job he'd been trained to do, which was defend this country," said Al Blair, a Marine staff sergeant.

Thomas Blair, 24, of Broken Arrow, Okla., disappeared during fighting March 23, and was later confirmed killed in action.

Blair joined the Marines at 19 and was based in Cherry Point, N.C., a quick drive from his brother. He often visited Al Blair's family for home-cooked meals and the chance to play with his brother's children.

As a sophomore in the high school band, Blair sewed a military insignia to his band uniform, just like senior band members. "You'd give him an inch ... and he'd just want to take it to the next step," said Darren Davis, his high school band teacher.

Michael T. Blaise loved to fly so much that he would e-mail pictures of the inside and outside of his helicopter to his family.

"He was doing what he wanted to do, and he loved it," said his stepmother, Cheryl Blaise. "He told my husband that if anything happened, don't feel bad: 'I'm doing what I want to do.'"

Blaise, 29, died Jan. 23 when his helicopter crashed on its way back from a combat mission near Mosul, Iraq. He was based at Fort Campbell.

He graduated from high school in Macon, Mo., in 1993 and attended technical school for a year before joining the Army, which he always wanted to do, said his father, Terry. Blaise felt strongly about serving in Iraq, and said Iraqis often thanked him for his service.

Blaise's wife, Kate, is an Army captain who was serving at the same base in Iraq.

Ernesto M. Blanco first picked up a guitar when he was 8 months old and still loved to play, so his family wasn't surprised when a friend saw television footage of him strumming in Iraq on Christmas Day.

"When he would play, everyone would just stop," sister Carmen Blanco-Pendergraff said. "I'm glad to know he got to play in his last days."

Blanco, 28, of San Antonio, Texas, was killed Dec. 28 when an explosive struck his vehicle in Qaryat Ash Shababi, Iraq.

Blanco, who was based at Fort Bragg, won a Bronze Star and his Combat Infantryman Badge while deployed to Afghanistan last year.

"You could not ask for a better leader," said Sgt. 1st Class Naamon J. Grimmett, who served with Blanco in Iraq.

His sister said he had a strong faith in God and did mission work in Mexico. "He would walk into a room and light it up. He was the glue that held everyone together," she said.

He was engaged to Michelle Sorrell and had planned a June wedding.

In a letter mailed to families of his battalion, James Blankenbecler wrote that his top priority in Iraq "is to safeguard your loved ones and ensuring that every soldier returns back."

Four days later, the 40-year-old Blankenbecler was killed Oct. 1 when his convoy was attacked in Samara, Iraq. He was the highest-ranking enlisted soldier to date to be killed by hostile fire.

Blankenbecler, who grew up in Arlington, Va., joined the Army in 1983. His career included service in Operation Desert Storm.

"It was always his dream to be a command sergeant major, and he reached his dream," said his mother, Joanne Blankenbecler. "He was just a terrific son."

He had completed a college degree this year and was looking forward to starting work on a master's degree, his mother said.

Blankenbecler, his wife and three children lived in Texas where he was stationed at Fort Hood.

When Joseph M. Blickenstaff started struggling in high school, he turned to the Army to find discipline in his life.

"He was missing a lot of school, and he needed somebody to put an arm around him," said his former teacher, Jim Phillips. "I think the military was the right choice for him. He was just one of those quiet boys who was looking for direction."

Blickenstaff, 23, of Corvallis, Ore., died Dec. 8 when his Stryker combat vehicle tumbled off a dirt road in central Iraq and landed upside down in an irrigation canal. He was based at Fort Lewis.

Teachers remembered Blickenstaff as quiet and well liked, although he missed enough school days to land in a program for at-risk teens, Phillips said.

Blickenstaff "was proud to protect our freedoms and died helping to create them for others he will never meet. He will always be our hero," his family said in a statement.

Trevor A. Blumberg always gave 100 percent in everything he did, whether it was playing football or hitting the books or serving his country.

"He never complained if you gave him an extra task," said Gary Brokas, his high school marketing teacher. "He would never, ever say 'It's somebody else's job,' or 'I'm busy.'"

Blumberg, 22, of Canton, Mich., was killed Sept. 14 by a roadside bomb in Fallujah, Iraq. He was a paratrooper stationed at Fort Bragg.

Blumberg was small for an offensive lineman on his high school football team, standing about 5 feet 7 inches and weighing about 165 pounds. Still, he worked harder than anyone else on the team, said Bob Cummings, the team's offensive coordinator.

"He pushed other players on the field to do their best," Cummings said.

Blumberg was so well thought of by his fellow soldiers that his death broke their morale, said Staff Sgt. Kyle Foster.

"He always smiled, always carried on," Foster said.

Jeff Bohr was a dedicated Marine who was ready to go to war, his father said.

"Jeff wouldn't have had it any other way," said Eddie Bohr.

Bohr, 39, a native of Ossian, Iowa, died in combat April 10.

Bohr, who ran 10 miles a day and had finished several marathons, spent a few years in the Army before joining the Marines. He was an instructor at Camp Pendleton before heading to Iraq in January. He lived with his wife, Lori, in San Clemente, Calif.

Eddie Bohr got a few letters from his son during his tour in Iraq the last one arrived just hours before Marines came to tell Bohr that his son had been killed.

Before he was deployed to the Middle East, Craig A. Boling paid a florist to send his wife a bouquet of flowers every month he was gone. Family and friends said he had always been that way.

"There's not a selfish bone in his body," said Tony Lubarsky, Boling's brother-in-law. "He was an awesome guy."

Boling, 38, of Elkhart, Ind., collapsed and died July 8 while eating with his unit in Kuwait.

A National Guard platoon sergeant with no history of health problems, Boling completed 20 years in the reserves in February and expected to retire from the military. But that was put on hold until after the war.

Family members had already bought fireworks and American flags to line the streets when he returned one flag for every day he was gone.

"He said to plan a vacation two weeks, even if we had to take the kids out of school," said his wife, Tania. "He was looking forward to a break and really missed us."

Doyle W. Bollinger Jr. was dedicated to his job and to his country but also was known for his special touches, such as giving people things he'd found or made.

Retired seventh-grade teacher Pat Eidschun still has a ceramic turtle that Bollinger gave her years ago.

"He was always grinning and had a smile on his face," she said.

Bollinger, 21, from Poteau, Okla., died June 6 after unexploded ordnance accidentally detonated north of Baghdad. He was a Navy Seabee assigned to the Gulfport, Miss.-based Naval Mobile Construction Battalion 133.

"He wasn't very big, but he didn't know it," Eidschun said. "In his mind, he was a giant."

Kelly Bolor's family and friends were planning for a November visit from the supply specialist when they learned he had died in Iraq.

He "was the kind of person who the first time you met him you felt like you knew him all his life," said Alena Bolor, his sister-in-law. "He was the friendliest person you could meet."

Bolor, 37, died Nov. 15 when two Black Hawk helicopters collided in Iraq. The Lahaina, Hawaii, native was stationed at Fort Campbell.

"He was really grateful to be able to fight for his country," Maxie Bolor said of his twin. "He felt it was the right thing to do."

Bolor lived in Whittier, Calif., with his wife also Kelly and their 3-year-old son, Kyle.

"He always had a smile on his face. I'll never forget the smile," family friend Anna Kaahunui Dizon said.

Gulf War veteran Stevon Booker once talked about passing lessons on to younger soldiers who had joined the military after the Sept. 11 attacks.

"One guy doesn't win a war," Booker said. "You have to have confidence in your equipment. The M1A1 is the best tank on the battlefield. It can destroy anything the Iraqis throw at us."

Booker, 34, of Apollo, Pa., was killed in action April 5.

Booker was remembered as a strict soldier who cared for his family and enjoyed playing video games, basketball and darts. In the months he had been stationed in the Persian Gulf, Booker requested turkey jerky, cupcakes, boxer shorts and many baby wipes, said the Rev. Linda Hargraves, an aunt.

"The last e-mail I got was Feb. 17. He talked about miles and miles of sand. He was tired and he wanted to get the job done so he could come home," Hargraves said.

Clarence E. Boone, a 30-year Army veteran from Fort Worth, Texas, died Dec. 2 after suffering a heart attack in Kuwait City, Kuwait.

Boone, 50, served as a property accounting technician and was stationed at Fort Hood.

Boone joined the Army in 1973 and joined the 4th Infantry in October 2002.

Rachel K. Bosveld enlisted in the Army when she graduated from high school in 2002, following in the footsteps of her father and brother. Her mother said she desperately tried to talk her daughter out of it.

"She said, 'I know, Mom, but I have to do this ... I want to keep up the family tradition. Except, Mom, I'm going to be the first girl in our entire family,'" Mary Bosveld said.

Bosveld, 19, of Waupun, Wis., died Oct. 26 in an attack at a Baghdad police station. She was stationed in Germany.

When she first got to Iraq, she was ready to "kick butt," said her father, Marvin Bosveld. But after eight months in the sands of Iraq, barely surviving a roadside ambush and patrolling anti-American riots, she had had enough.

"More and more people want us to go home," she wrote to her father. "Believe me, we want to go home."

Marvin Bosveld and his former wife, Mary, were serving as foster parents when Rachel came to them as a neglected baby. The couple adopted her.

Craig Bosveld described his sister as an artist who loved to draw forest scenes, play her violin and act in her high school drama club playing Frieda in the school rendition of "You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown." She hoped one day to become a graphic artist.

A care package addressed to Mathew Boule was sitting in his parents' home after his death, waiting to be mailed. Sue Boule said she'd still send it off to Iraq, even though her son would never get it.

"Mathew always said to me, 'Ma, send goodies. There are a lot of guys here who don't get mail. Whatever you send won't go to waste,'" she said.

Boule, 22, of Dracut, Mass., and based at Fort Stewart, died in a helicopter crash during a firefight in Iraq on April 2.

"I went to visit him in Georgia last July and he showed me his bird that's what he called his Black Hawk. He was so proud of it," his mother said. "He was so proud he made crew chief."

Boule, the youngest of four children, adored his nine nieces and nephews and was thinking of them when he last talked to his parents in February.

"I asked him if he was scared," his mother said. "He said 'Yeah, I'm scared and I don't know what the future will bring, but I have to do this for them, for my family.'"

Edward W. Brabazon's 9-year-old sister died while he was serving abroad in March 2003. When he returned from Afghanistan at Christmas, he spent most of his leave with his family, and he visited her grave.

"He was so glad to be home," Margaret Ann Brabazon said of her son. "He didn't even want to go to Iraq, but he had no say." The 20-year-old from Philadelphia died March 9 of a non-hostile gunshot wound in Baghdad. He was based at Fort Bragg. Edward W. Brabazon had always wanted to join the military. His mother wasn't happy with his decision, but she and her husband gave their support when he enlisted right after high school, days before his 18th birthday.

"He couldn't wait," Edward F. Brabazon said of his son. "It's something he wanted to do. He was determined." The couple raised the soldier from the time he was 3. When he was 12, they adopted him.

"It is our loss, but he did a wonderful job for his country," Margaret Ann Brabazon said, looking at the yellow ribbon on her door. "He was our hero. He died a hero."

Travis J. Bradach-Nall had been scheduled to leave Iraq shortly after major combat ended on May 1. He planned to go to college and learn to fly a helicopter. But when he heard more help was needed, he volunteered to stay an extra three months.

The platoon wasn't surprised by his decision, said Cpl. Jose Hernandez: "He would always step in and take his spot."

Bradach-Nall, 21, of Portland, Ore., died July 2 in an explosion during a mine-clearing operation. He was stationed at Camp Pendleton.

Family and friends remembered Bradach-Nall as a fun-loving, courageous man with a love for music and a sense of adventure. In high school, he wrestled, played drums and sang in the choir. He had a large collection of tattoos, including one depicting a passage about shedding blood for brothers.

"He was always smiling," uncle Sam Bradach said. "He had that sense of joy in whatever he did."

Kenneth R. Bradley led the soldier's life in the military. But long before then, he was known for his music.

"He was left-handed, he blew the trumpet and played the guitar," said Cleveland Washington of Jackson, Miss., Bradley's first cousin. "He always liked music and was always in a band."

Bradley, 39, of Utica, Miss., died of a heart attack May 28 in Iraq. Stationed at Fort Hood and a 19-year Army veteran, he is survived by his wife, Claudia Bradley, son Bryan Bradley and stepdaughter Sandra Coleman.

Artimus D. Brassfield struggled to make it through school, but always kept his focus on two main ambitions: to play basketball and to join the military.

"He made it through high school," said Brassfield's father, Cary, of Flint, Mich. "He got himself together."

And he joined the military. Brassfield, 22, who was based at Fort Hood, died Oct. 24 in a mortar attack as he played basketball at his Iraq military base.

"He was just a sitting duck," Cary Brassfield said, but added that his son "died doing what he loved. He loved basketball, and he loved the Army."

Born in Mississippi, Brassfield grew up in Dayton, Ohio, and moved to Flint to live with his father when he was 14. He joined the Army in March 2001 after his high school graduation, and married his wife, Andrea, the following August.

Jeffrey Braun was adopted by an American family, but he dreamed of starting an orphanage in Honduras, where he was born.

"Jeff always had a plan, a purpose," said the Rev. Richard Forcier, Braun's family priest. "He had a dream to give back."

The 19-year-old from Stafford, Conn., died Dec. 12 of a non-hostile gunshot wound in Baghdad. He was stationed at Fort Bragg.

As a teenager, Braun's hairstyles changed often, friends said. He enlisted in the Army shortly after graduating from high school, where he was a multi-sport athlete and member of the choir.

"My brother was never afraid to try new things while everyone stood aside and just watched him," Julie Braun wrote in a letter that was read at the soldier's funeral.

"Everyone could feel the warmth of his personality," she wrote.

His parents, William and Meredith Braun, and his sister say they are continuing his work to start an orphanage.

Friends and family remember Steven Bridges as a man who loved family and was proud to be part of the Army, which he joined right after graduating from high school in 1988.

But his mother, Loretta Bridges, said that what really made her shy, reserved son come alive was acting on stage. He revealed a different side of himself when he performed.

"He loved anything that would get him up there on the stage," Loretta Bridges said.

Bridges, 33, of Tracy, Calif., died Dec. 8 in a vehicle accident in Iraq. A veteran of Operation Desert Storm, he was stationed at Fort Lewis.

Survivors include his wife, Debbie, 6-year-old daughter, Sarrah, and three stepchildren.

Rather than tell of the battles in Iraq in his last note to his wife, Thomas F. Broomhead showered her with compliments in a Mother's Day card.

"All I wanted to know was about Iraq and all he kept talking about was how I was a great mother and how lucky the kids were," Kelli Broomhead said.

Broomhead, 34, who was stationed at Fort Carson, died May 27 in enemy fire in Fallujah.

Born in Ohio and raised in Fort Myers, Fla., Broomhead joined the Marines out of high school in 1989. He hoped to become a helicopter pilot.

"He liked it a lot. He was in it for the long haul," his wife said. The couple have three sons, ages 7, 9 and 11.

The couple met in Arizona and married in 2000. It was Broomhead's sense of humor that drew her in, and it was the memory of the teasing and inside jokes that allowed her to smile after he died. But the same memories her husband playing football in the back yard with their boys or the Army ball they attended on Valentine's Day also brought sudden tears.

Those who knew him say Henry L. Brown was a family man, a man of faith.

"Next to my mother, he was my best friend," said his mother, Rhonda James-Brown, whose own mother died several months ago. "Now he's in heaven with her and they're both watching over me."

Brown, 22, of Natchez, Miss., and based at Fort Stewart, died April 8 after being wounded in combat.

In high school, Brown was a member of the Junior ROTC. He taught Sunday school, and was married less than a year ago to Army Spc. JoDona Brown, who is also stationed in the Middle East.

Frank Woods Jr. described Brown, one of his best friends, as a person of deep faith: "He was a family-oriented person, a person of religious background, someone you could always depend on. If he had it, it was yours."

When Johnny Brown last e-mailed his family, it was to comfort them.

"He told us he was doing what he loved and not to worry about him and should anything happen to just know he was doing what he loved," said Jessica Brown-Tatum, Brown's sister.

Brown, 21, of Troy, Ala., and based at Fort Campbell, was killed April 14 in an accidental grenade explosion.

"He was a big teddy bear and would do anything for you," Brown-Tatum said. "He had a heart of gold. He was brave and we're very proud of him."

Brown decided last fall to enlist in the Army after serving in the reserves, his sister said. His last e-mail arrived less than a week before his death.

"He just e-mailed to let us know he was OK and that they were winding down and he hoped to be home soon," she said.

Larry K. Brown seemed happy when he called home from Kuwait a week before the war began.

"He was very comforting at bad times. He always had the right thing to say," said his 16-year-old sister, LaKeidra Davis. "He used to make me laugh .... He'd make a joke about anything."

Brown, 22, of Jackson, Miss., and based at Fort Riley, was killed in action April 5.

"He just felt like he wanted to be doing more," said his mother, Rosemary Brown. "He was doing what he wanted to do. We were all proud."

Brown played basketball, baseball and ran track in high school in Jackson.

"He was fairly quiet. He was also a kind of funny guy when he wanted to be, but for the most part he was a real serious young man," high school principal Dorothy Terry said.

Lunsford B. Brown II may have been a bit unpolished as a high school football player, but his hard work helped his team in Henderson, N.C., win the conference championship.

"He was raw, since he hadn't played much," said coach Randy Long. "But he was a strong guy, and he moved well and ended up being a contributor to the team as a defensive lineman."

He also made an impression in other ways: "I vividly remember him coming to the locker room with his ROTC uniform on to get dressed for practice," Long said.

Brown, 27, was killed Sept. 20 when mortars struck an Iraqi prison outside Baghdad. He was based in Wiesbaden, Germany.

Brown's younger brother, Jason, is the star center for the University of North Carolina's football team.

Long said Lunsford Brown was "a very likable person" "he had the same good demeanor as the rest of his family. I thought a lot of him."

Survivors include his wife, Sherrie Wheeler Brown of Greensboro, N.C., and 3-month-old daughter, Amber.

A prankster, Timothy R. Brown Jr. decided to enlist in the Army on April 1, 2001, just to see his high school friends' reactions.

"He thought it'd be funny to do it on April Fools' Day. He was one of those jokesters," said a friend, Bryan Relevant.

The 19-year-old Brown, of Conway, Pa., was killed Aug. 12 by an explosive device while traveling in a convoy just north of Baghdad. He was based at Fort Bragg.

Brown had signed up for two years of military service but was having second thoughts about leaving the military next year, Relevant said.

"He wanted to go to Iraq. When he got over there, he said he wanted to stay," he said.

When Cedric E. Bruns' reserve unit was sent to Kuwait, his family says, he grew up. In his letters home, he talked about going to college, buying a house and digging into the family history.

"He realized that what he had always taken for granted was going to be different when he got back here," said his mother, Debbie Bruns.

Bruns, 22, of Vancouver, Wash., died May 9 when the Humvee pickup truck he was driving collided with another vehicle in Kuwait.

"Some of his friends here remember him for the fun times and the parties," said his father, Peter Bruns. But once in Kuwait, "It hit him that things have to be done. He kicked into high gear and took on responsibility. He was made captain of the guard and volunteered to be a squad leader."

He last called home a few weeks before his death.

"It was an early Mother's Day call because he didn't know if he would get another chance at a phone," his mother said. "We talked for 20 minutes. He knew what he was there for to fight for somebody else's freedom."

All three of Larry and Linda Bryant's children are in the military, but they worried when they heard their youngest, Todd, was being shipped to the volatile "Sunni Triangle" area of Iraq.

"We knew it was not going to be a good situation," Linda Bryant said.

Todd Bryant, 23, of Riverside, Calif., was killed by an explosive device Oct. 31 as his Humvee traveled between Fallujah and Baghdad. A 2002 graduate of the U.S. Military Academy, he was stationed at Fort Riley.

His two siblings are Marine Maj. Timothy R. Bryant, a veteran of the Iraq war, and Army Capt. Tiffany Bryant, who returned in June from a tour of duty in Afghanistan.

Linda Bryant said her son's Aug. 30 marriage was a bittersweet affair joy mixed with worry about his deployment.

"I kind of figured it was going to be the last time we would see him," Bryant said.

Rep. Ken Calvert, R-Calif., appointed Todd and Tiffany Bryant to West Point, and Todd had interned in his office in 2001.

"It's a real tragedy," Calvert said. "He was a wonderful soldier doing his responsibility."

Once she saw the 5-foot-3 Ernest Bucklew, with his brown eyes and brown hair, Barbara Bucklew she knew she wanted to spend her life with him.

"Even on your worst day, he knew how to make you laugh," she said.

Ernie Bucklew was on his way home for his mother's funeral when he was among 16 troops killed in the Nov. 2 downing of a helicopter carrying troops home on leave. His mother, Mary Ellen Bucklew, died two days earlier at age 57 of a burst aneurysm.

"They say there's a reason for everything, but I just can't find a reason for this," said Bucklew's uncle, Jack Smith of Point Marion, Pa.

The son of a coal miner, the 33-year-old Bucklew had been in the Army since 1999 and was stationed at Fort Carson. He was a "happy-go-lucky kind of guy and a really good friend," said David Davis of Charles Town, W.Va., who played high school football with Bucklew.

In his last e-mail to his uncle, Bucklew wrote: "This is a letter from hell."

Besides his wife, he is survived by sons 8-year-old Joshua and 4-year-old Justin.

In his last letter home, Roy Buckley wrote of the anguish he felt for the children of Iraq, and of his pride in being a soldier.

"The kids here are so sad. I give them as much food as possible. I gave my last $20 to a man who looked so bad," he wrote. "I couldn't care less; I can do without stuff."

Buckley, 24, of Hobart, Ind., died April 22 in a fall from a military truck while dispensing meals and water to Iraqis. He was an Army reservist.

His older brother, Charles Calvin, said Buckley was a patriot who felt "every note of the national anthem vibrate through his body while he was standing at rigid attention."

Buckley's mother, Janie Espinoza, last talked to her son on Easter. Buckley told her he hoped to be home by Mother's Day.

"He was the life of the family," Espinoza said.

Buckley also is survived by a 6-year-old daughter.

Paul J. Bueche joined the National Guard four days before the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, and served in Kuwait and Iraq. His youthful energy is what people who knew him remember best.

"He was a grand old kid, fun-loving and mischievous," the Rev. Tim Deasy said of the young man who attended his church and parish elementary school. "He lived more in 19 years than many of us live in a lifetime."

Bueche, 19, of Daphne, Ala., was killed Oct. 21 in Balad, Iraq, when a helicopter tire he was working on exploded. He was based in Birmingham, Ala.

"Paul strongly believed in what he was doing, serving in the National Guard to assist the people of the state of Alabama and to keep America safe and strong," his family said in a statement.

Survivors include his parents, Paul and Marie.

Charles H. Buehring directly advised civilian administrator L. Paul Bremer on how the occupation was being received by Iraqis and how to encourage their cooperation. He also was in charge of psychological operations for Army Forces Central Command, said his commanding officer, Lt. Col. Bo Merchant.

"He was just a great American," Merchant said. "An awesome officer."

The 40-year-old Buehring was killed Oct. 26 when a rocket barrage hit a U.S. headquarters hotel in Baghdad.

Buehring, who lived in Winter Springs, Fla., had served in the Army for 18 years and is survived by a wife and two boys, ages 12 and 9. He was active in the Boy Scouts and his church.

"He had the unique ability to balance the needs of the military profession, the needs of his family and the needs of his community simultaneously," Merchant said.

After graduating from The Citadel in 1985, Buehring was commissioned as a second lieutenant. He later earned master's degrees in international relations and in military arts and strategic studies.

Brian Rory Buesing never was afraid of going to war his biological father and his grandfather both were Marines.

"I think if he had anything to say, he would be proud of his country," his stepfather, Roger Steve, said as he held a large portrait of his stepson in his Marine dress uniform.

"They used to call him Tom Cruise with blonde hair and blue eyes," he said.

Buesing, 20, of Cedar Key, Fla., and based at Camp Lejeune, was killed in combat March 23.

"We are just completely devastated. He was the love of our lives," said his grandmother, Sandra Cunch.

"He was full of energy in life, he always had a smile on his face," remembered Angie Doty, who works in the high school guidance office and whose daughter graduated with Buesing in 2000. "He was just a nice guy."

Edward Buggs was based at Fort Stewart, but was traveling with the Fort Bliss-based 507th Maintenance Company because it needed an extra mechanic with his skills.

He died when the convoy was ambushed on March 23.

Buggs' 12-year-old son had been "worried about his dad not seeing him grow up," said his wife, Wanda Buggs. "It's not something you get over," she said.

Buggs, 31, was raised by his grandparents in rural Barnwell, S.C., and was a soft-spoken young man when he and Wanda fell in love in high school.

He joined the Army in 1992 and was considering making it a career. He loved the Army and "all the things that it could offer," his wife said.

"I really loved that child. He was just like my own," said Florine Buggs, the soldier's grandmother. "He never gave me any trouble."

Christopher Bunda loved to take on projects around the house. When he and his wife bought a home in March 2003, he got right to work.

"He remodeled one of the floors, made it wood ... and did all the cement work in the back yard," said his wife, Michele Bunda.

The 29-year-old soldier from Bremerton, Wash., went missing in the Tigris River near Mosul, Iraq, after the Iraqi police boat he was in capsized Jan. 25. His remains were recovered Feb. 10.

Michele Bunda said it was difficult to make her children understand that their father was missing.

The couple's 6-year-old daughter wanted an explanation, asking "Why is Poppa in the Army? Why can't he do something else like other children's fathers?" Michele Bunda recalled.

A native of the Philippines, Bunda was stationed at Fort Lewis. He is also survived by his 3-year-old son, Christian James.

Going to war has been a tradition for Richard Burdick's family: His father served in Vietnam, his grandfather in World War II and Korea, and his great-grandfather in World War I.

Iraq was Richard Burdick's war. And on Dec. 10, the 24-year-old from National City, Calif., was fatally injured when his vehicle was hit by a roadside bomb in Mosul, Iraq. He was stationed at Fort Campbell.

"He was a quiet professional. He wasn't a Rambo," said Burdick's father, Michael, who lives in Andover, N.Y. "That made me very proud."

His parents' divorce and a lack of adult supervision contributed to his being "a little wild in his younger days," his father said. But he changed his life at an alternative school, taking up poetry and creative writing and earning 31 class credits in a single year.

"He squared himself away," Michael Burdick said, and when he left for boot camp, he was "clear-eyed and looking forward to his new life."

Survivors include his wife, Jennifer, daughter Angelynn, 6, and son Michael Sean, 4.

The oldest of seven children, Tamario D. Burkett was a poet, an artist and a big brother who asked his mother whether God would forgive him if he had to kill someone in combat.

His letters home included special notes for each of his six younger siblings, ages 1 to 18. He wrote that Katrina, 15, should stay away from boys and 18-year-old Raymond should focus on school.

Burkett, 21, of Buffalo, N.Y., and based at Camp Lejeune, was killed in combat March 23.

His parents say Burkett surprised them with his decision to join the Marines after talking to a recruiter at school one day.

As he prepared for combat, Burkett didn't worry about his own safety, his mother said.

"He said, 'Ma, is God going to forgive me if I kill someone over there?'" she said. "I said, 'Yes, you're doing what you have to do.'"

Travis Lee Burkhardt always knew his career goal: "He wanted to be a policeman," said his father, David Burkhardt of Edina, Mo.

Burkhardt joined the Army in 1995 to pursue that interest and was stationed in Iraq as a member of an Army military police unit. He died June 6 in a vehicle accident near Baghdad.

"Travis was a patriotic man with a great sense of duty and compassion, and he was a very good father to his children," David Burkhardt said. The father said Burkhardt also was a highly honored soldier who most recently received an Army award for saving a life in 2002.

Burkhardt's brother, Sgt. Justin Burkhardt, also was serving in Iraq.

Survivors include his wife, Rose, and children ages 3 and 1.

Charles E. Bush Jr. was a cook, and he had been expected home for the Christmas holiday. Instead, he volunteered for dangerous guard duty, working as a door gunner.

Bush, 43, of Buffalo, N.Y., died Dec. 19 after his vehicle hit a homemade bomb in Balad, Iraq, just east of Saddam Hussein's hometown of Tikrit. His Army Reserve unit was based in Riverdale Park, Md.

"He put his life on the line when he could have been safe working as a cook," said his father, Charles E. Bush Sr. "He's my firstborn, my oldest, and I'm proud of him."

Bush had joined the Reserves "fairly late in life," Lt. Col. Hugh Van Roosen said, and had been stationed in Iraq for nearly a year.

He was also survived by one child.

Matthew D. Bush and his sister had a friendly rivalry, so when 19-year-old Deann joined the Army last year, Matthew soon followed.

"When Matthew saw his little sister graduate from basic training, that was it, he was hooked," said their father, Randy Bush. "I remember him looking at me and telling me that he knew he was going to do this."

Matthew Bush, of East Alton, Ill., joined the Army in January and arrived in Iraq in mid-July from Fort Hood. The 20-year-old soldier died Aug. 8 in Kirkush, Iraq, of what is believed to be a heat-related illness.

His father said he hoped his son's death would make other soldiers more alert to the signs of illness from the heat. Bush is also survived by his mother.

"There's a young man who plays sports all his life," the senior Bush said. "He's used to having football gear. It just goes to show you it can happen to anybody."

Damian S. Bushart came from a family of proud military men. His father served in Vietnam and Operation Desert Storm, his grandfather and an uncle in World War II and Korea. So nobody was too surprised when Bushart enlisted in August 2002.

"We are warriors. We took an oath to follow our orders from the commander in chief and that's what we do," said his father, John "Skip" Bushart.

Bushart, 22, was killed Nov. 22 when a tank collided with his vehicle in Baghdad.

He grew up in Waterford Township, Mich., playing football in high school and serving in the Civil Air Patrol. He was a personable young man, family say, with friends who loved him dearly.

He "was an outstanding person," said longtime friend Chip Taylor. "I loved this guy. I'd do anything for him, and he'd do anything for me."

Survivors include his wife and young son.

As Jacob Butler's family bands together, his father is reminded of the reason his son was serving in Iraq.

"He was kind, care-giving and loving," Jim Butler said. "He'd give you the shirt off his back. I guess it goes back to the way he was raised. We're a tight-knit family. We believed in things that were right."

Butler, 24, of Wellsville, Kan., and based at Fort Riley, was killed April 1 by a rocket-propelled grenade.

"I just know for a fact that he died fighting for our freedom and doing something that he loves to do," said Butler's twin brother, Joe.

Though the war claimed his son, Jim Butler said he is a staunch supporter of the war effort.

"Can you imagine what it would be like if we didn't have young men like this all over the world?" Butler said.

In Joshua T. Byers' last letter to his wife, he talked about the chicken races his unit held to celebrate July 4.

"It was a good Fourth of July, a good time for soldiers. It was as good as it could be for them," Kim Byers said.

"He mentioned God's plan is always perfect. He said, 'There is a reason we are going through what we are going through now. We will know that plan later.'"

Byers, 29, of Fountain, Colo., died July 23 when his convoy was attacked in Iraq. He was stationed at Fort Carson.

Byers was the son of Baptist missionaries, and was a Southern Baptist lay leader himself. He also was the older brother of Milam and Jared Byers, lead guitarist and drummer, respectively, for the Christian rock band Bleach.

"His whole life, this was all he wanted to do," Milam said of his brother's military career. "He worked hard to get into West Point, and when he was at West Point he worked hard to be the best there."

Juan C. Cabral Banuelos had less than three months left in Iraq before he would have been back home with his wife and two young children in Texas.

"He was proud of his boys, proud of his family ... I'm going to go back to Utah and raise my boys like he wanted me to," said his wife, Anita Cabral. High school sweethearts, the couple married a few months after Cabral enlisted in 1998. Their sons are aged 7 and 18 months.

The 25-year-old mechanic was killed Jan. 31 when his vehicle struck a homemade explosive device near the northern Iraq city of Kirkuk. Born in Mexico, Cabral grew up in Riverdale, Utah and briefly listed his home address as Emporia, Kan. He was stationed at Fort Hood.

Anita Cabral said her husband loved to tinker, especially on his 1963 Chevrolet Impala Super Sport. That love of cars helped make him a light-truck mechanic in the military.

Survivors also include his mother.

Charles T. Caldwell and his bride, Margaret, had pushed up their wedding from June to February when things began heating up in the Middle East. Charles wanted to celebrate their union with "a huge party" as soon as he came home.

"Well, baby, this is some party," Margaret Caldwell said at a memorial service for her husband, sending a wave of laughs through the audience.

Caldwell, 38, of North Providence, R.I., was killed Sept. 1 when the Humvee he was riding in struck a land mine in Iraq. He was a member of the Rhode Island National Guard.

Kipp Caldwell remembered his older brother as a loving and loyal friend who liked the camaraderie and the structure of the military.

"He was happy that he was doing something that he felt was very worthwhile and we're proud of him for that," said Kipp Caldwell. "I think he was at a happy point in his life."

Nathaniel A. Caldwell was a tank mechanic in the Army. But his dream was to become a pastor, and he looked forward to getting out of the Army and perhaps starting a counseling center.

"He wasn't a fighter, he was a peacemaker," said his wife, Amanda Caldwell. "Ever since I've known him, he wanted to be a chaplain."

Caldwell, 27, of Omaha, Neb., died May 21 in a vehicle accident in Iraq. He was stationed at Fort Hood.

Caldwell grew up in Arizona and studied sports management at Peru State College in Peru, Neb. The 6-foot-4, 225-pounder was named Peru State's most inspirational player during the 1997-98 season.

Amanda Caldwell said her husband was a devout Christian who loved to make people feel at ease: "He was always trying to keep everyone's spirits up."

Besides his wife, he is survived by two children from his previous marriage: Donovan, 6, and Endira, 4. He also had a stepdaughter, Dallas, 9, from the previous marriage.

Joseph Camara was a quiet, funny man who had a calming effect on the people he encountered in his four years as a patrol officer.

"Those are tough qualities to find," said Lt. Richard Spirlet, spokesman for the New Bedford, Mass., Police Department.

Camara, 40, of New Bedford, died Sept. 1 when the Humvee he was in struck a land mine near Baghdad. He was a member of the Rhode Island National Guard.

"He was an exceptional partner," said Officer Luis Sud-Martinez.

"He had no qualms about going back and serving his duty in the military," Sud-Martinez said. "He had put his time in and was ready to retire but he went back and he had a job to do."

Camara is survived by his wife, Ana, and children Matthew, Angela and Ashley.

Isaac Campoy made it a goal to serve in the military, and he joined the Army a month after graduating from high school in 2001.

"He loved everything about the Army. He wanted to go to war and he served with all his heart," said his older brother, Victor Campoy.

Campoy, 21, of Douglas, Ariz., was killed Oct. 28 when the Abrams tank in which he and another soldier were riding struck an explosive device northeast of Baghdad. He was stationed at Fort Hood.

Victor Campoy described his brother as an honest man who was always there for people and looked out for Victor, a third brother and their parents. After military service, he said, Isaac wanted to go to college and then work for the U.S. Customs Service.

"He was a straight person. He had no greed," Victor Campoy said. "He loved his family and he would worry about us."

Audrey and Lynn Sherman, now in their 70s, remember Richard P. Carl as the good-hearted teenager across the street who was on hand when they needed help lifting objects or other work at their home.

"It just shows you what kind of boy he was," said Audrey Sherman of Glenns Ferry, Idaho. "He was always helping someone else."

Carl, 26, was one of three Fort Carson-based soldiers killed May 9 in a helicopter crash while trying to rescue a wounded child in Iraq.

Carl is survived by his wife, Audrey, a 3-year-old daughter and and 18-month-old son.

"He was a real, real good boy," said Carl's aunt, Cherry Ash of Glenns Ferry. "He was really good to his mother. He trimmed all her trees. He was a good daddy. He was just an all-around good boy."

Ryan G. Carlock didn't talk much about Iraq when he spoke with his wife. He didn't want her to worry any more than she already did.

Instead, they chatted mostly about their 10-month-old daughter and his 7-year-old daughter from a previous marriage.

"He loved his children," Heather Carlock said. "He was a loving husband. I've never seen a mean streak in him."

Carlock, 25, of Colchester, Ill., died Sept. 9 in combat north of Baghdad. He was stationed at Hunter Army Airfield after joining the service about three years ago to earn a living and get job training.

"He was trying to figure out his next move, stay in or go to college," said Terry Evans, Carlock's stepfather. "He had more to do here in this life."

Jocelyn Carrasquillo was known among his friends as a joker, a great dancer and a relentlessly upbeat person.

"The world could be falling apart and he'd find something positive about it," his friend Chad Clark said. "When people pass on, others always say, 'They were smiling.' But he was."

Carrasquillo, 28, of Wilmington, N.C., died March 13 when his convoy hit a land mine in Iraq. He was a member of the National Guard based in Wilmington.

"He was having a good time, fighting for our country. He was definitely not scared to be there," said his older brother Luis Carrasquillo.

"Joce" Carrasquillo had served in the National Guard for seven years while working and studying occupational therapy and massage therapy, and deployed for the first time three weeks before his death. He volunteered his skills at nursing homes in his free time, Clark said.

His twin brother, Ronald Carrasquillo, has been stationed in Iraq for more than a year.

Jose Casanova grew up in a family of nine brothers and sisters and had several nieces and nephews. His devotion to that family was well known.

"He took his time helping kids," said his brother-in-law, Ray Castellanos. "He didn't mind staying home with newborns. He was the guy that didn't mind skipping fun to be with his nieces and nephews."

Casanova, 23, of El Monte, Calif., was killed in Baghdad on Oct. 12 when an Iraqi trash truck rolled over and landed on top of his vehicle. He was based at Fort Bragg and had been serving in Iraq since January.

Paul J. Cassidy had made a life out of helping people in troubled regions. His mission to Iraq with the Army Reserves was similar to previous duties in Kosovo, Bosnia and Kuwait, where he distributed food and blankets and helped reconstruct power grids, improve phone lines, re-establish farms, provide water and repair houses.

"He was basically in there to help people, doing humanitarian deeds, the nice things," said Meridian Township, Mich., clerk Mary Helmbrecht.

Cassidy, 36, of Laingsburg, Mich., died July 13 as a result of non-combat injuries in Iraq.

Helmbrecht said Cassidy's involvement with the humanitarian aspects of war and his dedication to his work reflected his personality.

"He had an outstanding dry wit," she said. "He was just an incredibly dedicated, detail-oriented, phenomenal employee."

Roland L. Castro was the kind of father who happily played dress-up with his 4-year-old daughter, Raquel Lee.

"It didn't matter what kind of day he'd had," said his cousin, B.J. Ramos. "He'd sit and have tea with her and her Barbies."

The 26-year-old soldier from San Antonio died Jan. 16 when he was accidentally shot as he searched a bunker, military officials told his family. He died in Camp Cedar II, Iraq, and was assigned to Fort Sill.

When Castro was sent home with relatively minor hand injuries, he told his mother he wanted to return to Iraq. "I've got to bring my soldiers back safely," Hope Soriano recalled him saying at Brooke Army Medical Center in June.

Within weeks he was again leading his field artillery unit near Baghdad, and by early January, half of Castro's unit had made it safely back to Kuwait. He told his wife, Liliana, that he expected to return to San Antonio by March.

"This is what he loved to do," Soriano said of her son. "He was so proud of being a soldier."

Sean K. Cataudella wrote to his parents from Iraq that he was spending part of his time chasing down Iraqi men who were shooting off machine guns in the streets and the other part handing out candy to Iraqi children.

"Sean was such a compassionate guy. He felt for those kids," said his father, Sal Cataudella.

Cataudella, 28, of Tucson, Ariz., died Aug. 30 when a vehicle he was driving hit an embankment and rolled into a canal. He was stationed at Fort Hood and was serving as a scout in Iraq, going ahead of other troops to scope out enemy terrain.

"He did it because he loved his country and he was always an adventurous soul," his father said.

Cataudella joined the Army eight years ago after high school and also served in Bosnia, said his mother, Connie Cataudella. He didn't have a chance to see his youngest child, Kai, born while he was in Iraq. Other survivors include his wife, Naomi, children Alex, 7, and Damon, 3.

As James Cawley's partner on the Salt Lake City police force, Detective Mark Schuman got to hear a lot about what was on Cawley's mind and in his heart.

"Not a night went by that he didn't talk about his family. He really loved his kids," Schuman said. "He spoke to his father often, his mother and his wife."

Cawley, 41, of Layton, Utah, was killed in a fire fight in Iraq on March 29. He is survived by his wife, Miyumi, an 8-year-old son, Cecil, and a 6-year-old daughter, Keiko.

Cawley served for 12 years in the Marines, and met his wife while serving in Japan. He also served a proselytizing mission with the Mormon church in Fukuoka, Japan.

Salt Lake City police spokesman Sgt. Dave Hoffman said Cawley had no reservations about going to war.

"He was a natural leader ... someone who loved his family deeply and his country," Hoffman said.

Kemaphoom A. Chanawongse enlisted shortly after graduating from high school in 1999 over the objections of his mother, Tan Patchem.

"He understood it was dangerous, and he was proud of doing it," she said.

Chanawongse, 22, of Waterford, Conn., died after his Camp Lejeune-based unit came under attack while attempting to secure a bridge. He had been listed as missing until April 16.

Chanawongse, who came to the United States from Thailand at age 9, played youth soccer and planned from a young age to join the military. His grandfather is a veteran of the Thai air force.

He was known to members of his unit as "Chuckles" for his sense of humor, and one friend said the avid snowboarder was talkative and outgoing: "Every time you turn around, he's gone talking to somebody," said Steve Cava, 22.

But he also had a strong sense of duty, his parents said, and had a Marines tattoo on his arm: "U.S. Marine, made in Parris Island."

"He did it without fear and without delay, even one minute," said his stepfather, Paul Patchem.

James A. Chance III didn't want his counterparts with spouses or children to risk themselves driving through dangerous territory in Iraq, family pastor Jimmy Jones said. So the Mississippi National Guardsman volunteered to lead his convoy.

"He would do without so that someone could have. That's the way he was raised," older brother Allen Chance said.

The 25-year-old from Kokomo, Miss., was killed Nov. 6 when his truck hit a land mine near the Syrian border.

Chance usually stayed close to his parents' home, helping to care for his wheelchair-bound father, who had served in Vietnam. The last conversation Allen Chance had with his brother was about their ailing grandmother.

"He was worried about her and he was trying to get it where he could come home for a few days to see her," he said. "He never could get around to it."

He is survived by his father, James Jr., and his mother, Patricia Ann.

Robert Channell grew up wanting to join the armed forces and wound up making a 17-year career of the Marine Corps.

"He was one of those kids who you'd say he had always wanted to do that, he had always intended to do that, and so he did," said Channell's stepfather, Mark Sutton of Gordo, Ala.

Channell, 36, of Tuscaloosa, Ala., and based at Camp Lejeune, died April 22 in a grenade launcher accident.

"I'm probably prejudiced because I'm his dad, but he's one of the finest men I've ever met in my life," Sutton said. "He was much of a man. He was a good father, a good husband, a good son."

Channell married his high school sweetheart, Joyce, right after boot camp in 1986.

The couple and their 5-year-old daughter planned to move to Japan or Hawaii for their last overseas tour. After retiring from the Marines, the family would have returned to Tuscaloosa, where Channell wanted to earn his bachelor's degree from the University of Alabama.

Jason K. Chappell was a bright student who threw himself into whatever he did, whether it was an academic competition or a school play.

"He was so intense he would just drive us to do better and better," said Rich Herold, who coached Chappell on a high school Academic Decathlon team.

The 22-year-old infantryman from Hemet, Calif., was killed Jan. 24 by a car bomb in Khaldiyah, Iraq. He was stationed at Fort Hood.

Chappell maintained a 3.8 grade point average in high school.

"He was so determined in everything he did," Jennifer Mallon said of her Academic Decathalon teammate. She also appeared with Chappell in a school production of "The King and I."

"Jason was always a quiet kid who loved church, family and country," said Susan Priest, his aunt. "He joined the military to make himself a better person. He believed in what he was doing."

Survivors include his wife, Stephie.

When John Marshall Cheatham's father died in an accident three years ago, the teenager took on responsibilities as head of the family.

"He cared for his sister deeply, always taking care of her," said his mother, Dr. Barbara Porchia of Camden, Ark. The added obligations, she said, prompted her son to join the Army Reserves.

"He was a Cheatham man, and through God, he could do anything possible. That was his motto," his mother said. "And he lived by it."

Cheatham, 19, died July 26 in a rocket-propelled grenade attack in Iraq.

In high school, Cheatham played trumpet in the marching band and played soccer. He also loved animals, and Porchia said he enrolled in college with an interest in veterinary medicine and computers.

He had completed just two weeks of classes before the military activated him.

A born leader, serious and focused, Therrel Shane Childers built his life around being a Marine.

"His idea of fun was skiing, backpacking, anything to keep in shape for the Marines," said Army Sgt. Richard Brown, Childers' brother-in-law.

Childers, 30, based at Camp Pendleton, died March 21 after being shot in Iraq.

He grew up in a military family primarily in Harrison County, Miss., and enlisted after high school. He served in the 1991 Gulf War, and in 2001 he completed the Marine Enlisted Commissioning Education Program at The Citadel.

Retired Master Sgt. Steve Whitten said his wife often ribbed Childers about being single.

Army Ranger Andrew Chris called his brother on June 22 to let him know he was headed overseas. "He said, 'This is the last time I'm going to call you from the States,'" Josh Chris recalled.

Andrew Chris, 25, died just a few days later. The Florence, Ala., native was killed along with another Ranger on June 25 when a vehicle packed with explosives detonated in Baghdad.

"He went through some of the most rigorous training in the world just to be a Ranger," Josh Chris said. "But he loved it. He'd go on a 20-mile hike with a 60-pound pack and call me that night and be in a great mood."

Chris, who lived in San Diego, followed a long line of relatives into the military. Both of his grandfathers served in World War II, his father served in the Army, his uncle in Special Forces and his brother Derek in the Navy.

Josh Chris said knowing that his brother died doing what he loved has made it easier to accept.

"He was spiritually and emotionally ready," Chris said.

The last time Thomas W. Christensen called his oldest brother from Iraq, he was relatively upbeat about life in a war zone.

"He had no complaints about being in Iraq. Other than it was kind of hot in the summer," said Chris Christensen, of Detroit. In the last call, he said "they were shooting at him a lot less. It wasn't so hot. He wanted me to send him some coffee."

The coffee was in the mail when the family got the news that Christensen, 42, had died in a Dec. 25 mortar attack on his living quarters. He was with an Army Reserve bridge-building unit based in Harvey, Mich.

Christensen joined the Army around 1981 and left in 1994, becoming a reservist, his father said. About two years ago, he moved to Michigan's Upper Peninsula, where he worked as a carpenter and spent his free time hunting and fishing.

Survivors include his father, also named Thomas, and his mother.

In letters from Iraq, Brett T. Christian praised the Kurdish and Iraqi people and talked about the tough battle conditions. His last letter was to his grandparents, Thomas and Eileen Christian of Sun City, Fla.

"I should be returning in September when I look forward to my first real hamburger in six months," he wrote. "Please give my love and I hope to see you some day soon."

Christian, 27, of North Royalton, Ohio, and stationed at Fort Campbell, was killed early on July 23 when his convoy came under attack by rocket-propelled grenades. In Ohio, it was still July 22 his mother's 47th birthday.

Tess Christian said her son always wanted to be a soldier and enlisted before finishing high school. In the Army, he was trained as a sniper, served a year in Korea, and was stationed at Fort Campbell.

"My son was such an angel," she said. "They say the eyes are the windows of the soul. His eyes swelled with emotion. They were bright and welcoming."

Arron R. Clark left high school early to join the Army, dreamed of becoming an elite Airborne Ranger and was part of the first wave of soldiers deployed to Iraq.

But by December, he was anxiously awaiting his return home.

"He wanted out of Iraq so bad. All he was seeing was dead soldiers," said his mother, Lyne.

Clark, 20, of Chico, Calif., was killed Dec. 5 by a remote-control bomb that struck his convoy riding through Baghdad. He was stationed in Darmstadt, Germany.

Clark received a General Equivalency Diploma so he could leave high school to enlist in the army, where he specialized in detection and decontamination of biological warfare agents. He had just been accepted to the Airborne Ranger training school, his mother said.

Clark's aunt, Robin Clark, said he always wanted his family to be proud of him.

"He knew if he didn't get out of Chico, he wasn't going to get anywhere," Robin Clark said. "He wanted to make something of himself."

John and Tina Cline met while attending high school in Sparks, Nev., and married the day after he graduated from Marine boot camp.

"He always said he wanted to be a Marine. His whole senior year he was already signed up and ready," Tina Cline said.

At age 21, Cline was killed in combat March 23.

The Clines and their two young sons, Dakota, 2, and 7-month-old Dylan lived at Camp Lejeune until he got his orders to ship out after Christmas.

On March 27, she received a letter that included a hand-carved, 4-inch wooden truck with the word "Dakota" on the side for his son. He explained that he couldn't get to Kuwait City to buy gifts.

"So he and his friend took some Kuwaiti wood and carved this little Dodge Dakota truck because his name is Dakota and my son loves trucks," she said.

Christopher D. Coffin had planned to retire from the Army Reserves, wanting to spend more time with his wife, Betsy, in Kennebunk, Maine.

"He made a commitment to my sister to spend their older years together and not to put himself in jeopardy, where there'd be any chance she'd have to suffer through what she's going through now," said his sister, Candy Barr Heimbach.

But that plan was put on hold because of the war.

Coffin, 51, died July 1 in Iraq in a vehicle accident.

Major Learie H. George remembered Coffin talking about his wife: "He called her every chance he got."

Heimbach described her brother-in-law as devoted to his wife, family, friends and country.

"He was a man committed to the ideals and values of this country," she said. "If anyone exemplified the values and the understanding of the need to defend our values, it was Chris."

Gary Brent Coleman didn't tell his family he was getting married. He just did it. He joined the military the same way.

"Nothing surprised me about Brent, because he was always doing things that surprised me," said his mother, Janie Johnson.

The 24-year-old tank driver died Nov. 21 near Balad, Iraq, when his Humvee flipped into a canal during a vehicle chase. He was from Pikeville, Ky., and was stationed at Fort Carson.

Coleman was already a hero in his hometown, where the high school football running back was the all-time leading rusher and scorer. His teammates called him "Rocket," for his speed.

"He didn't lack for confidence," said his father, Gary Coleman.

And he didn't show fear, his Army buddies said, even under fire.

Whatever he felt, he kept it to himself. "I never did see him cry," his father said. "He might break down by himself, but he never showed it."

Survivors include his wife, Kirsten.

As a boy, Benjamin L. Colgan marched with his parents in peace rallies.

Joseph and Pat Colgan, whose activism dates from the Vietnam War, were surprised when their son enlisted in the Army but continued to support him, even as they opposed the war in Iraq.

"That was hard, but you support your children," his mother said of his decision to enlist after graduation from high school in Des Moines, Wash., in 1991.

Colgan, 36, died Nov. 1 when a roadside bomb exploded as he responded to a rocket-propelled grenade attack in Baghdad. He was stationed in Giessen, Germany.

Survivors include his wife, who is pregnant with their third child, and two young daughters.

His mother says his death has only strengthened her position against the war.

"People keep asking, 'Are the Iraqis better off?'" she said. "What we have to start asking is 'Are we better off?' and we're not. We're losing our children."

Those close to Gary L. Collins remember a man with a strong sense of honor and personal duty, a man who chose a military career because he wanted to protect the world.

"He was just a hell of a man," said his father, Don Collins.

Collins, 32, of Hardin, Texas, died Nov. 8 when the vehicle he was riding in hit an explosive. He was stationed at Fort Riley.

Collins was a professional soldier with a stack of medals and commendations to show for his 12 years in the Army. When he was sent to Iraq in September, family members hoped his experience would help keep him safe.

"I figured his odds of surviving were way better than the average person that hadn't had the training he had," his father said.

Survivors inlcude his wife, Kassie, and two daughters, 8-year-old Taylor and 6-year-old Landry.

While he was in the Middle East, Zeferino E. Colunga called his family in Bellville, Texas, once a week and called his sister on her birthday in May and his mother on her birthday in June.

So they grew worried when he failed to call his father on his birthday on Aug. 2. They soon learned he was gravely ill with acute leukemia.

The 20-year-old Colunga, who was stationed at Fort Polk, died Aug. 6 at a hospital in Germany.

Nicknamed "Cowboy" because of a childhood habit of wearing a cowboy hat while riding a stick horse, Colunga joined the military after graduating from high school and planned to make it a career.

"He wanted everybody to be proud of him," said his sister, Teresa Colunga. "He had a lot of fun doing it."

Timothy M. Conneway was a Junior ROTC star in high school the first step in fulfilling his dream of being an Army Ranger and following his grandfather, father and brother into military service.

"He had a great personality and an ability to deal with others. He was always energetic and wanting to do things," said Sgt. Maj. Johnny Snodgrass, his JROTC instructor. "He was a guy with a military image and fit all the credentials of a soldier at a young age."

Conneway, 22, of Enterprise, Ala., was injured June 25 when a vehicle packed with explosives detonated in Baghdad. He died two days later of cardiac arrest.

"He was always a team player (and) always looked for the positive things in life," Snodgrass said. "He was liked by everybody on the (drill) team, always laughing, always happy."

He is survived by his wife, Cathy, who was pregnant when he died.

Steven D. Conover shared stories with the family about the dangers in Iraq, including one in which a Humvee blew up in front of him and killed a man Conover had trained with.

"He was the sergeant, so he had to prepare the man for sending him home to his wife and children. That affected him greatly," said his stepfather, Michael Earley.

Conover, 21, was among 16 soldiers killed in the Nov. 2 downing of an Army helicopter carrying soldiers home on leave. He was stationed at Fort Sill.

"They were ambushed quite often, and he just said he knew the hand of God was on him," Earley said. "Now, he was on his way home, but he got to go all the way home. My boy was a Christian, and I know he's in heaven right now."

Conover, of Wilmington, Ohio, graduated from high school in 2000 and attended Laurel Oaks Career Development Campus, where he studied aviation. He was a cadet officer in Laurel Oaks' Air Force Junior ROTC program.

"I saw him as a very mature, genuinely nice guy that automatically, when he spoke, other people listened," ROTC instructor Howard Vosburgh said. "His fellow students looked up to him. I admired him. He was just a cut above his peers."

He is also survived by his mother, Lorraine Earley.

Aaron J. Contreras was so devoted to his wife and three children that he chose to fly a helicopter rather than his dream craft, a fixed-wing airplane, because helicopters were deployed less often.

"He made every effort to stay on the West Coast because that's where his family was and he wanted his kids to be close to his family," said his older brother, Dave Contreras.

"He chose helicopter knowing that they didn't get deployed as much," he said.

Contreras, 31, of Sherwood, Ore., and based at Camp Pendleton, was killed March 30 in a helicopter crash in Iraq. He is survived by his wife, Janelle, and children ages 11, 8 and 4.

One of five brothers, he played football, basketball and baseball in high school. But mainly, he dreamed of flying.

"Something about getting up in the air just captivated him," said his father, Edward Contreras.

When Eric Cooke was 17, police arrested him for possession of burglary tools. But by the time he reached his 40s, the military had turned him around.

Besides earning two college degrees, Cooke reached one of the Army's highest noncommissioned ranks command sergeant major.

Cooke, 43, who grew up in the Phoenix area, was killed Dec. 24 after his convoy vehicle struck a homemade bomb near Samarra, Iraq. He was based in Friedberg, Germany, where he met his wife of 23 years, Dagmar.

Cooke also served in the 1991 Gulf War, where he earned a Bronze Star.

"The U.S. Army did for that boy what I could not have done for him," said his mother, Georgia Cooke, who lives near Molalla, Ore. "They turned him into a man and a man among men, and that is not a mother bragging."

Other survivors include his father, Cord Cooke, of Mesa, Ariz.

Dennis A. Corral was not scheduled for deployment to Iraq until January, but he volunteered to go earlier in place of another soldier who was married and had children.

"He'll step forward if they need help," said his mother, Yolanda Corral. "He's always been like that."

Corral, 33, of Kearney, Neb., was killed Jan. 1 when his vehicle went out of control as it traveled in a convoy to Baghdad International Airport. He was deployed to Iraq in December.

Born in San Diego, Corral entered the Army in 1989 and later left the service to pursue other interests. He moved to Kearney in 1994, re-entered the Army in 1997 and had been stationed at Fort Riley since October.

After his death, his mother gathered with relatives to share memories.

"It's hard to believe he's gone," said Corral's brother, Peter. "But he did die doing what he loved to do."

Scott Coulter was "a good all-around guy the best of the crop," in the words of his grandmother.

Coulter, who grew up in Bristol, Tenn., and was stationed at Fort Hood, was killed Nov. 17 when his vehicle struck a homemade land mine on the way to Baqubah, Iraq.

Coulter, 35, joined the Army in 1987 after graduating from high school and had served in Somalia, Bosnia and Operation Desert Storm.

Coulter met his wife, Robin, while both were stationed in Germany. They were married 12 years. He had two daughters, Shenna and Hannah, and a stepdaughter, Cindy.

Family and friends had been hopeful that Coulter would remain safe.

"He said he was doing all right, and that he didn't have to go out real often," said his grandmother, Mrs. Stuart Coulter.

Ryan R. Cox enlisted in the Marine Corps for its structure, fun and a view of the world, and he wasn't disappointed. Cox surfed and skydived in California when he wasn't in training, and sent a postcard from Ireland on his way to the Middle East.

"He probably did more and saw more than most high school graduates," said his mother, Robin Hamilton.

Cox, 19, of Derby, Kan., and stationed at Twentynine Palms, was killed by a non-combat weapons discharge June 15.

Hamilton said she spoke to her son just days before he died, and that she wasn't angry about his death.

"He was doing what he wanted to do," she said. "He was serving his country. I couldn't have asked for a better son."

Michael Russell Creighton-Weldon decided to follow in his mother's footsteps when he enlisted in the Army last year, and chose the infantry "because he's a tough guy," said his mother, retired Sgt. Major Jean Weldon.

In his last letter, Creighton-Weldon said he was trying to be a good soldier. And there was one other thing: "The last thing he wrote in the letter was, 'I love you, Mom,'" Weldon said.

Creighton-Weldon, 20, of Palm Bay, Fla., was killed March 29 when a car drove up to an Army checkpoint and exploded.

He had a 23-year-old sister and a 15-year-old brother, and became engaged before leaving for Iraq.

"My son was the strength of the household," Jean Weldon said. "After I got divorced, Michael was the man of the house."

Michael T. Crockett's mother sent him off to war in December with a hug and a kiss.

"He told me he was too old for that, but he kissed me," Maxine Crockett said. "I told him we weren't going to say goodbye, we're going to say, 'See you later.'

"So he said, 'See you later.'"

Crockett, 27, of Soperton, Ga., died July 14 in Iraq when his unit was attacked with rocket-propelled grenades. He was stationed at Fort Stewart.

His wife, Tracey, learned of her husband's death just hours after she had received a dozen red roses he had sent from overseas.

"He loved to spoil me, and after his son was born, he spoiled him, too," she said.

The 3-year-old son is named after his dad: Michael Tyrone Crockett Jr.

After 20 years in the Army, Ricky L. Crockett was looking forward to serving out his remaining time in Iraq and retiring from the military this summer. And one activity definitely was on his plate.

"He liked to cook for us he liked to cook greens and mostly everything, he loved to cook hog chitlins," said his sister, Catherine Brockington. "He liked to make pecan pies."

Crockett, 38, of Broxton, Ga., was killed Jan. 11 in Baghdad by a crudely made explosive device. He was stationed at Fort Bragg.

Samantha Crockett, another sister, said he had many friends.

"He was all smiles," she said. "Everybody got along with him. I don't think he had an enemy."

Survivors include his wife, Megan Crockett of Fayetteville, N.C., and his 14-year-old daughter Marvise.

"I'm going to remember him with his big smile … he always had an uplifting spirit," Brockington said.

Away in Iraq, Rey D. Cuervo managed to keep in close touch with his family via the Internet, even sending his parents money to buy a computer so they could e-mail more often.

He also had just bought a camera so they could have pictures.

Cuervo, 24, of Laguna Vista, Texas, was killed Dec. 28 in Baghdad when an improvised explosive hit his mounted patrol. He was based at Fort Polk.

He had warned his family of the dangers, saying, "Mom, you know where I'm going probably I'm not coming back," Rosalba Kuhn recalled.

But military service was her only son's longtime dream.

"He was 5 years old and he said, 'You know I'm going to be a soldier,' and I said, 'Yeah, I'll believe you when you leave, when I see you in a uniform.' Well, he did it," Kuhn said.

When they last spoke, on Christmas Day, he told her how much he missed being home.

"He said, 'Yeah, Mom, you know I can close my eyes and see the Oyster Bar and Whataburger. I can smell the Whataburger."

Daniel Francis J. Cunningham learned about patriotism from his late father, a Marine who knew all about war.

"He was definitely proud of what he was doing. He didn't have any hesitation on going," said his brother, James Cunningham. "My dad fought in Vietnam, so he was more than willing. He knew about patriotism."

Cunningham, 33, based at Fort Stewart, died April 4 in Iraq when the vehicle in which he was riding veered into a ravine.

Cunningham grew up in the Lewiston, Maine, area, and managed restaurants before joining the Army more than three years ago. His wife, Heather, and their 10-year-old son, Conor, live in Revere, Mass.

In a March 8 letter to his mother, Cunningham showed his usual good nature and sense of humor.

"His spirits were up, talking about sand in his ears and how he had enough to build a palace," James Cunningham said.

In his last letter home, Michael E. Curtin told his family that he had been promoted to corporal sooner than expected. But he said that didn't matter to him because he believed his place was with his family.

His 12-year-old sister, Stephanie Curtin, could vouch for that her brother used to promise he would always protect her.

"When I first heard that his life was over, I cried and cried," she said. "I'm so proud of what he did for us. He was a brave man and a fabulous brother, son, cousin and grandson."

Curtin, 23, of Howell, N.J., and based at Fort Stewart, died March 29 in a suicide bomber attack at an Army checkpoint.

Curtin joined the Army in May 2001 after his high school graduation.

As a teenager, Curtin played for the high school football team. He was, said coach Corey Davies, "the kind of person you'd always want to be part of your team."

As a teenager, Christopher E. Cutchall spent a lot of time hunting and fishing in the woods of Pennsylvania's rural Fulton County.

"Chris wasn't very big physically. He grew up in the woods here hunting and fishing, so he knew how to shoot and how to sneak, and the Army built on that," said his father, Paul Cutchall.

An Army scout, Cutchall had been in Iraq for less than a month when he was killed Sept. 29 by an explosive device west of Baghdad. The 30-year-old Cutchall had been in the military since 1991 and was stationed at Fort Riley.

Cutchall, who grew up in McConnellsburg, Pa., planned to make the military his career, his father said. He had been to Germany, Turkey and most recently was in Kuwait.

"He was a firm believer that everybody should serve their country," Paul Cutchall said.

Cutchall is survived by his wife and two sons, ages 4 and 6.

In letters and e-mails from Iraq, Anthony D'Agostino asked his family for Kool-Aid to flavor his water, pictures of his cousins, crossword puzzles and books to help him learn Spanish.

"He was always looking for ways to better himself," said his aunt, Beth Santos. "He wanted to make good use of his time over there."

D'Agostino was among 16 soldiers who died in the Nov. 2 downing of an Army helicopter carrying troops from Iraq on leave. Stati