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. Stationed at Fort Hood, he would have turned 21 on Nov. 6.

Born at Fort Gordon, Ga., while his father was in the military, D'Agostino graduated from high school in Waterbury, Conn., with a specialty in electricity.

D'Agostino joined the military after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, looking for an education, career and a place to belong, Santos said. He hoped to go to the U.S. Military Academy.

When he wrote home from Iraq, he talked about the hot weather and how uncomfortable the situation was, Santos said. He was proud to be serving in Iraq, but his family was nervous.

"You never stop worrying," his aunt said.

Nathan S. Dalley wasn't the stay-at-home type. After graduating from West Point in 1998 he backpacked through Europe and took part in the running of the bulls in Pamplona, Spain.

"He wanted to explore everything and see everything," recalled his sister, Alicia Schroeder. "He was full of life."

Dalley, 27, died of a non-hostile gunshot wound Nov. 17 in Baghdad.

After graduating from high school in Sandy, Utah, Dalley wanted to become a Naval officer so he could fly F-16s, but his eyesight was too poor. He chose the Army instead and hoped to become a Ranger with the Special Forces.

"He wasn't afraid to fight, he wasn't afraid to go to war," Schroeder said. "He had been trained excellently to do this job."

Survivors include his fiancee, Kristen Barnekov.

Duty often kept Eric B. Das away from his wife, but he always stayed in touch.

"We couldn't go a day without talking," said his wife, 1st Lt. Nikki Das, who also was deployed to the Persian Gulf. "He called me all the time, and e-mailed and wrote."

Das, 30, of Amarillo, Texas, and based at Seymour Johnson Air Force Base, was piloting an F-15E Strike Eagle when his plane went down April 7.

"He was doing what he loved that night and flying with people he really loved, too," Nikki Das said.

Das was born in the Netherlands, where his family was serving as missionaries, but grew up in Texas. He graduated in 1995 from the Air Force Academy with a degree in civil engineering.

Friends and family say Das' strong faith was an inspiration for them.

"He was the greatest Christian guy I knew," said Doug Jesko. "He was the type of person who made you believe that you could be a better man."

Two decades after joining the Army right out of high school, Craig Davis had been planning to retire in 2004.

He was on his way to Baghdad for a medical examination because of arm numbness when the Black Hawk helicopter he was in was shot down on Jan. 8, killing all nine on board.

Davis, 37, of Opelousas, La., was stationed at Fort Polk.

Survivors include his wife, Rosalind, and their two children.

Raphael S. Davis and his older brother joined the Mississippi National Guard under the buddy system and were both called to duty in Iraq.

Davis' girlfriend, another guard member, stayed behind and gave birth to the couple's first child. Two weeks after the birth, Davis called his father to say he was coming home.

"I never heard him sound so happy," Clifton Bailey said. "He told me he was coming home. We all assumed he meant Tutwiler, but he knew he was going to his heavenly home. He was calling me to say goodbye."

Davis, 24, of Tutwiler, Miss., was killed Dec. 2 when an explosive device ripped through the Humvee he was driving in a convoy in Tampa, Iraq.

His death came less than a month after his girlfriend, Deetra Tucker, gave birth to a boy, Razavier Seon. Davis also had two other children, 6-year-old Raphael Jr. and 5-year-old Ravin.

While serving in the guard, Davis had studied engineering at Holmes Community College and worked at a Circuit City.

"As a soldier, student and member of this community, he was top-notch," said Col. Ruyel West, who led Davis into battle.

Wilbert Davis was a staunch supporter of the war in Iraq and ignored pleas from loved ones not to accept his assignment there.

"His wife, as well as my mother, tried to talk him out of going to the Middle East," Bob Davis said of his brother. "He strongly stated it was something he believed in."

Davis, 40, of Hinesville, Ga., and based at Fort Stewart, was killed April 3 when the Humvee he was traveling in flipped and landed in a canal.

One of eight brothers, Davis gained a measure of fame at age 12 by pitching for a Tampa, Fla., team that went to the Little League World Series.

He was a "very outgoing, humorous, jovial person, a well-centered person," Bob Davis said.

He lived with his wife, Hui Ok Davis, a native of South Korea, and their two sons in Hinesville. He has two daughters from a previous relationship.

Jason L. Deibler joined the Army in October, and those who knew him said it was a perfect fit.

"He was so proud to be in the Army," said his father, Kevin Deibler, who lives near Hampton, Va. "We heard from him when he was in Germany, and he was more happy than he'd ever been in his life."

Deibler, 20, of Coeburn, Va., died May 4 from a noncombat weapon discharge in Kuwait.

Jason Pugh, 22, knew Deibler from the time the two spent at a vocational training center.

"He was always very enthusiastic about the military," Pugh said. "To him it just seemed like a big, exciting adventure. He was looking to be a part of the Army and he wanted to travel. He wanted that respect, to be a part of that Army machine."

He also cherished his family, and was engaged to be married to Nicole Reddington of Hampton.

"Jason was the most loving person you'd ever want to meet in your life," his father said.

Darryl Dent was a goal-oriented person who got things done and had a good time doing them.

"Most of the time he was happy, and when he wasn't happy you wouldn't know it because he was always trying to make sure that everybody else was happy," said his sister, Lisa Justice of Roanoke Rapids, N.C. "He was trying to keep the peace all the time."

Dent, 21, a National Guard member based in Washington, D.C., was killed Aug. 26 by a makeshift explosive device while on convoy duty in Iraq.

Vernon Dent said his son joined the Guard right out of high school and wanted to go to medical school. He spoke to his son a few weeks ago, and the soldier said he was ready to come home.

"That's my baby boy. A good kid," the father said. "It really hurt me."

After emigrating from Albania to the United States, Ervin Dervishi joined the Army because he thought it would be the best way to train for a career in law enforcement.

Dervishi, his parents and brother came the United States in 1999 after winning an immigration lottery, said Kim Beebe, the family's U.S. sponsor. He became a U.S. citizen after he was inducted into the Army.

"He grew up under communism and wanted something better and something different for his life," Beebe said. "His whole point was to keep peace."

Dervishi, 21, of Fort Worth, Texas, died Jan. 24 after attackers in Baji, Iraq, fired a rocket-propelled grenade at the vehicle in which he was riding. He was stationed at Fort Hood.

Saimir Dervishi said he and his brother always wanted to be soldiers.

"He left a kid, he became a man and died a hero," Saimir Dervishi said.

Michael Deuel found high school boring, but thrived when he transferred to a job corps training center in South Dakota. While there he also fought some forest fires and found his calling.

"He really got this desire to become a smokejumper and the best way to do that was to go into the military to get his jump wings," his mother, Debra Deuel, said. He planned on four years in the Army, then going back to school for his forestry degree.

Deuel, 21, a native of Cheyenne, Wyo., was killed June 18 in an attack while on guard duty in Baghdad. He was stationed at Fort Bragg.

"Mikey," as his mother called him, was born in Michigan, then lived in California until the family moved to Cheyenne. That's where his mother and father Dudley "Ace" Deuel were stationed as Air Force tech sergeants.

He loved bowling, reading and sports, and was a particular fan of the San Diego Chargers and Padres.

Michael J. Deutsch was remembered at his funeral service for his love of watermelon, roller coasters and his friends and family.

Deutsch, 21, of Dubuque, Iowa, was killed July 31 in Baghdad when his armored personnel carrier was hit by an explosive round.

Deutsch graduated from high school in 2000 and joined the Army in 2002. He was based in Germany.

Among the mourners was Judi Chandlee, who taught Deutsch when he was in the second grade. It was her first year of teaching.

"It is just a tragedy," she said. "That class was all special to me."

Deutsch is survived by his parents, two brothers and a sister.

"He was just the best friend anybody could have," T.J. Stapleton said.

Jeremy DiGiovanni loved his work with helicopters in Iraq both the thrill and the meaning of his service there.

"What he was doing was very important to him," said his father, Joe DiGiovanni. "It was 250 miles an hour, pants on fire with both doors open. He was a Black Hawk crew chief and he lived to get in that helicopter and fly."

The 21-year-old DiGiovanni, from Pricedale, Miss., died Nov. 15 when two Black Hawk helicopters collided in Iraq. He was based at Fort Campbell.

"I will remember him as a great guy," his father said. "He was always humorous and jovial. He never liked to see anybody with their feelings hurt or upset."

DiGiovanni said that when he spoke to his son in Iraq, "I got the impression he was extremely busy, working very hard. And I think he tried to keep stories and rhetoric to a minimum so not to make us worry."

Michael A. Diraimondo had aspirations to work as a paramedic after his tour of duty in Iraq, where he served as an Army medic.

"He was at the peak of his life," said his father, Anthony Diraimondo. "He was like a sponge with knowledge. He had such a great, great attitude and felt so good about himself. I take some comfort that he died with the highest self-confidence in himself."

Diraimondo, 22, of Simi Valley, Calif., died Jan. 8 when the Black Hawk helicopter he was on was shot down near Fallujah, Iraq. Eight others on board were killed.

Diraimondo was stationed at Fort Carson.

The elder Diraimondo, a veteran of the Vietnam War, said his son had recently sent an e-mail to one of his two older sisters.

"He thought a lot about the families back home and how he was helping to save lives," his father said.

Michael E. Dooley couldn't wait to be a father, expecting his first child in October. He wrote from Iraq to his 11-year-old brother, Jacob, that he expected Jacob to help teach Dooley's child how to play basketball.

Dooley, 23, of Pulaski, Va., and stationed at Fort Carson, died June 8 when passengers in a car opened fire after stopping at a checkpoint in Iraq to ask for medical assistance.

Dooley's true passion was his wife, Christine, whom he met through the mail after he got a letter from her addressed to "Any Service Member" when he was stationed in Bosnia in 2000, said Sgt. Ronald Marek. Dooley responded and the pair kept writing.

They met when Dooley returned to the United States in 2001. It was love at first sight, and the couple married.

"Christine was not only his soul mate, she was his best friend," Marek said.

Patrick Dorff wanted to fly when he was a boy, and the dream stuck as he got older: "He had it in his blood all his life," Leanne Rogers said of her brother.

The 32-year-old from Minneapolis was on a rescue mission searching for soldiers from a boat that had capsized when his helicopter crashed in the Tigris River on Jan. 25. He was assigned to Fort Drum.

Dorff got a job at an airport and got his pilot's license about the same time he got his driver's license, Rogers said. Later, he was all signed up to go to college when he told his parents he was going to fly helicopters in the Army instead.

Survivors include his wife, Yamira, and their 3-year-old daughter, Brisa.

Robert J. Dowdy followed his older brother into military service 18 years ago and was just two years from retirement.

"He was dedicated to the military," said his 40-year-old brother, Army Reserve Master Sgt. Jack Dowdy Jr. But the "biggest joy in his life" was his teenage daughter.

Dowdy, 38, of Cleveland died after the 507th Maintenance Company convoy he was in was ambushed March 23.

Dowdy enlisted in the Army after high school and served on bases in Korea and across the United States. He had fond memories of his first Army assignment, in Fort Polk, La., and had bought a house not far from the base, where he and his wife planned to retire.

In his last message from the Persian Gulf, Dowdy said he had been promoted in the field to first sergeant and was headed to Iraq. He prepared the family for the possibility that he might not return.

Joe L. Dunigan Jr. was a NASCAR fan who loved to laugh and was always the loudest voice in the room.

"He would have made an excellent drill instructor," said his stepfather, Sammie Bryant, a Vietnam veteran. "When he walked into a room, you could hear him above all the others."

Dunigan, 37, of Belton, Texas, died March 11 after his vehicle hit a roadside bomb in Fallujah, Iraq. He was based at Fort Riley. He was "happy, bubbly, infectious" and didn't like to be serious, said Dunigan's mother, Dena Bryant.

"I don't think he ever met a stranger," said Sammie Bryant. "He lived his life the way he served his country: He was gung-ho about everything."

Dunigan was a fan of NASCAR driver Jeff Gordon, a trombonist and just someone who loved to laugh, said his cousin, Jeremy Rose. He grew up in Benton, Ky., and joined the Army after graduating from high school there. Survivors also include his wife, Misty, and two children.

William D. Dusenbery was devoted to flying and hoped to eventually become a pilot.

"It was like he lived to be around the aircraft," said his fiancee, Jessica Wheat. "The Black Hawk and other aircraft, it was like they were a part of that man like his left arm."

Dusenbery, 30, who was based at Fort Campbell, was one of 17 soldiers killed Nov. 15 in Iraq when two Black Hawk helicopters collided.

Wheat said Dusenbery, who went by his middle name Dave, hoped to make the military his career so that he could continue to fly helicopters.

She said the only thing "he put above his helicopters was his girls," referring to his 11-year-old stepdaughter and 7-year-old daughter, who live with their mother in California.

Dusenbery, who was from Fairview Heights, Ill, was literally born into the military. His father said he was in the Navy stationed in Virginia when his son was born there.

When Seth Dvorin was offered two weeks' leave from Iraq in December, he refused to go because so many of his platoon members had not yet had the chance, his father said.

"He was a good human being," said Richard Dvorin, 61, tears rolling down his cheeks.

Seth Dvorin, 24, of East Brunswick, N.J., died Feb. 3 while trying to disarm a bomb near Iskandariyah, Iraq. The Army told his sister, Rebekah Dvorin, that Seth's unit had been ordered to clear the area of homemade mines and bombs that have killed dozens of troops.

"They told us they were in a convoy and saw something in the road," she said. "My brother, the hero, told his driver to stop. That's when the bomb detonated, when they were trying to dismantle it."

Dvorin, a 2002 Rutgers University graduate, married his college sweetheart, Kelly Harris, a week before his Sept. 2 deployment.

As a high school student, Richard S. Eaton Jr. had his heart set on a joining the Army. Still, he visited college campuses to please his parents and talked of majoring in botany or engineering.

After the trip, his father told him he had to make his own decision. Eaton brought home a recruiter to meet his parents.

"He said, 'He's old enough to enlist himself at 18, but he really wants your approval,'" the elder Eaton said. "Then he explained that they could give him the best work that the military had to offer."

An Army counterintelligence analyst, Eaton spent 10 years in South Korea and had appointments in Honduras, Panama and El Salvador.

Eaton, 37, from Guilford, Conn., died in his sleep Aug. 12 in Iraq from what was believed to be fluid buildup in his lungs. The cause of death remains under investigation.

He was in the Army Reserves and deployed to Iraq in March.

Marshall Edgerton played defensive end in football for awhile but it was when he decided to focus on wrestling that he really blossomed.

"I think that's where a lot of his characteristics came out. He was very energetic," said Don Murray, who was head football coach and assistant principal at Edgerton's high school in Dalton, Ga.

"In wrestling you have to be self-disciplined, and he was very good at that."

Edgerton, 26, died Dec. 11 in an attack by suicide bombers west of Baghdad. Stationed at Fort Bragg, he left for Afghanistan in late 2000, then was home for a few months before going to Iraq.

High school teacher Martha Jo Cook described Edgerton as a "purpose-driven young man of very high character."

"He was a wonderful young man and a credit to his school and his community," Cook said.

Survivors include his wife, Amy, and children Hunter, 7, and Alyssa, 2.

After her engagement to a fellow soldier, an excited Analaura Esparza-Gutierrez wrote to a childhood friend.

"I was about to cry when he proposed," Esparza wrote to Sharon Garcia. "He was so nervous. He could barely get the words out."

Esparza planned to get married next year after she returned from Iraq. "She never thought something bad was going to happen to her," Garcia said.

Esparza, 21, of Houston was killed in a roadside bombing Oct. 1 in Tikrit, Iraq. She was the second female soldier killed in combat in Iraq.

Esparza joined the Army in 2002 so she could eventually attend college. She arrived at Fort Hood nearly a year ago and was sent to Iraq in April for a one-year tour.

"I want people to remember my daughter for what she was a hero," said her father, Agustin Velazco Esparza. "I feel sad because she was killed but I feel proud also because she gave her life for this country. She was very brave."

Ruben Estrella-Soto was a mechanic's son who grew up in a hardscrabble neighborhood east of El Paso, Texas, and knew the value of education.

Estrella-Soto, 18, enlisted in the Army right after his high school graduation last spring though his father didn't want him to go.

"I knew it was a difficult life," Ruben Estrella Sr. said.

The teenager died after the 507th Maintenance Company convoy in which he was riding was ambushed on March 23.

Born across the Texas border in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico, Estrella-Soto became a naturalized citizen several years ago.

At a ceremony at Fort Bliss honoring Estrella-Soto and others who died in the ambush, Col. Frederick L. Hudson, the post chaplain, asked families to rely on their faith and assured them their children were "bridges to peace" in the Iraq conflict.

At David Evans Jr.'s funeral, dozens of young people wore T-shirts memorializing him. Evans' infant son, born in February, was pictured on many, with the words: "The legacy still continues."

Evans never saw his son, David Kevonta Evans, who was born a month after the soldier made his last visit home to Buffalo, N.Y.

Evans, based at Fort Riley, was killed May 25 in an explosion at a munitions site he was guarding in Iraq. He was 18.

Mourners spoke of the sense of service clear in Evans that would lead him to the military with the goal of a career in law enforcement. As a high school student, he interned at City Hall.

Friend Mallory Lee recalled a telephone call that Evans said might be their last.

"I said 'Don't say that. You're coming back. We're getting old. You're going to see my kids, I'm going to see your kids. We're getting old,'" said Lee, 18.

"He was the brother I never had," she said.

Mark Evnin grew up as an only child, and believed the Marines would be a challenge.

"He wanted to prove to himself that he could really meet a challenge and he told me some time after basic training he was so proud to discover he could be really good at something," said his mother, Mindy Evnin. "He felt really good about himself."

Evnin, 21, who was based at Twentynine Palms, died in combat in Iraq on April 3.

Evnin was raised in South Burlington, Vt., and joined the Marines after graduating from high school in 2000.

"No one pushed him in that direction, it was just him," said his uncle, Greg Novak.

At the same time, he never lost his desire to help others. "He did all of this not for money but because he thought it was right," said Tim Comolli, a high school teacher described as his mentor.

Rabbi Joshua Chasan said Evnin died "in the passion of his courage."

"He followed his dreams and his dreams led to his death," Chasan said.

Jonathan Falaniko had been in the Army for only a few months. His father had served 26 years. Both were assigned to Iraq, and in October they spent two nights together and spoke to other family members by video conferencing.

"It was one of the proudest moments for my family. My son was pretty proud of his tour of duty," said Command Sgt. Major Ioakimo Falaniko.

The elder Falaniko spoke to his wife and two daughters in Germany again by video teleconference to tell them Jonathan died.

The 20-year-old Falaniko was killed Oct. 25 when a bomb-laden vehicle blew up near him in Baghdad. He was based at Fort Riley.

Although Falaniko was born in Germany, he claimed his parents' home of American Samoa as his home. He had a tattoo on his arm with the word Samoan, his father said.

"My son and I talked about the war. He and I understood the danger in our chosen profession," Falaniko said.

Acting on a tip about a hidden cache of weapons, Brian R. Faunce's company raided a house in Iraq. Faunce made one thing clear.

"He said, 'Just make sure that once you tear everything apart, you put everything back just the way you found it,'" recalled Staff Sgt. Shawn Dodd. "I said, 'Are you serious?' And he said, 'Yeah.'"

Faunce, 28, of Philadelphia died from electric shock after touching a low-hanging power line Sept. 18 in Iraq while he was in a Bradley Fighting Vehicle. Stationed at Fort Carson, he was known as a commander who rarely slept and could draw up attack plans faster than anybody else.

Maj. Joe Golden said Faunce did not fear his senior officers.

"He respected them enough to tell them the right answer, not what they wanted to hear," Golden said. "Brian was a guy you knew you could rely on because he always did the right thing, even when no one else was watching."

After news broke Dec. 14 of Saddam Hussein's capture, Jimmy Ferguson told his wife that perhaps their son, Rian Ferguson, would be coming home soon. A few hours later, his wife spotted two soldiers headed to their home. She had her husband answer the door.

"She didn't want any part of it," he said. "I knew it was something ugly."

Ferguson, 22, of Taylors, S.C., died from injuries suffered when he was thrown from a vehicle when it hit a bump. He was stationed at Fort Carson.

Ferguson graduated from high school in 2000 and joined the Army before telling his parents. "It was a decision he made on his own," said his father, a truck driver.

Rian Ferguson worked in the transportation unit and occasionally asked questions about the trucking business. Jimmy Ferguson was surprised his son followed his career path: "I kind of wasn't expecting him to do that."

George A. Fernandez was the third generation of his family to serve as a senior noncomissioned officer.

"He served not out of a sense of family obligation, but out of a sense of patriotic duty," his family said. "He loved America and was proud to be a part of the Special Operations community."

Fernandez, 36, who was based at Fort Bragg, died April 2 after being shot in northern Iraq.

Fernandez, a native of El Paso, enlisted as an infantryman in 1992 and was assigned in November to the Special Operations Command. He lived near Fort Bragg with his wife, Kathryn, and a son, William Andrew.

Jon P. Fettig knew the risks of being a soldier, and he was prepared to make the ultimate sacrifice. There simply was no way to keep him away from the military.

"That was a part of Jon," said his wife, Cody Fettig. "It's a horrible, horrible thing that has happened. But he died a hero; he died doing what he loved."

Fettig, 30, an Army National Guard specialist from Dickinson, N.D., died July 22 when attackers fired rocket-propelled grenades at his unit.

Fettig had been a Guard member for about 11 years and re-enlisted a few years ago. His colleagues said he was excited to wear a uniform once again.

His father thinks of him differently.

"I hadn't really noticed that my little boy had grown up to be a man," said his father, Larry. "I guess he'll always be a little boy to me."

Paul Fisher was so good-natured that he didn't correct co-workers who accidentally called him by the wrong name for a year. He simply answered to "Frank" until everyone figured it out.

"We just always laughed about it and kept calling him Frank," said his supervisor, T.J. Korf. "He'd just always answer to Frank. He never took it bad."

Fisher, 39, a National Guard member from Cedar Rapids, Iowa, was a flight engineer aboard the helicopter that was downed Nov. 2 while bringing soldiers home on leave. He suffered multiple injuries, which were initially considered non-life-threatening, but died Nov. 6.

Fisher was a truck driver in the Army from 1982 to 1985 and served in the Army Reserve before joining the Guard in January 1997. He is survived by his wife of 14 years, Karen, and a stepson, Jason, 23.

"We never thought that when he went overseas he was in harm's way," Korf said, calling Fisher an excellent electrician and "a really good guy."

Growing up in Bay Shore, N.Y., Jacob S. Fletcher dreamed of serving his country.

"He always wanted to be a soldier," said his former girlfriend, Kristi Ruppert. "He always had that kind of passion in him. And he wanted to be that kind of man."

The death of a friend in the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks sealed the decision. He enlisted in the Army, becoming one of the first soldiers to parachute into Iraq.

Fletcher, 28, died Nov. 13 when explosives struck a bus he was on in Iraq. He was based in Camp Ederle, Italy.

"He really believed he was making a difference in Iraq," said Jean DeBrant, a family friend. "He felt that he was helping the women and children and that meant very much to him. It sustained him."

He is survived by his mother, Dorine Kenney, and father, Marlowe Fletcher.

Thomas Arthur Foley III wanted to be a teacher but couldn't afford to go to college. So he joined the military, and so did his younger brother. The two, born a year apart, were inseparable.

"You didn't see one without the other," said their grandmother, Anetta Courtney.

Foley, 23, of Dresden, Tenn., and based at Fort Campbell, was killed April 14 in an accidental grenade explosion. David Foley, 22, was also serving in Iraq.

Thomas Foley and his wife, Paulette, have a 6-month-old son.

Courtney said Foley was "so vivacious" and "always doing something." He loved working with children and riding four-wheelers, said his stepfather, Brian Darden.

"Tommy enjoyed life to fullest. He was a good Christian boy," Darden said.

When Jason C. Ford's unit arrived in Tikrit, Iraq, to take over security duties, the soldier was uneasy. When he called his father and stepmother, he told them of hearing gunfire during his first patrol in Tikrit, the site of frequent attacks on U.S. soldiers. "I could hear the anxiety. It was almost like he was saying to himself, 'This is the real thing,'æ" said his father, Joseph Ford. Days later the 21-year-old soldier from Bowie, Md., was killed while on his second patrol in Tikrit, when a roadside bomb exploded next to his Humvee on March 13.

People gravitated to the soldier because of his happy demeanor, his stepmother said.

"He was just sweet, a good child," Irene Ford said. "There was nobody who didn't like him."

Joseph Ford said the Army gave his son structure and some "growing up." The Vietnam veteran said he tried to reassure his son that his training would get him through his tour in Iraq.

In e-mails to his relatives, helicopter pilot Travis Ford wrote that he was seeing things in Iraq he didn't want to see. But he felt worse for the ground troops who couldn't return to base.

"I know there were some trying times out there for him," but he didn't let that get him down, said his brother, Alex Ford. "He was probably more concerned about his troops than his own welfare."

Ford, 30, who was based at Camp Pendleton, died April 5 when his helicopter crashed.

Ford had followed his brother, now a Marine reservist and FBI agent, into the military. He grew up in Ogallala, Neb., and lived in Oceanside, Calif., with his wife, Deon, and their 1-year-old daughter, Ashley.

Ford was a cheerleader at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. Relatives said he proposed to his wife over a megaphone in the stadium as other cheerleaders held up placards reading "Will You Marry Me, Deon?"

After Bobby Franklin was called up by the North Carolina National Guard, his colleagues at the Carlton Colwell Probation and Detention Center made sure he periodically received care packages filled with comforts from home.

Franklin supervised inmates working on construction projects in the community.

The 38-year-old Franklin of Mineral Bluff, Ga., was killed Aug. 20 when an improvised explosive device detonated near his vehicle in Iraq.

Family members had tried to talk the longtime reservist into calling it quits last year.

"He was within a year of retirement," said Tim Nicholson, his brother-in-law. "That's why he went back this time."

Franklin is survived by his wife, Brenda, and two children.

From Iraq, Robert L. Frantz told of his nights spent in the charred remains of one of Saddam Hussein's palaces and days spent guarding the Central Bank of Baghdad.

To Frantz's family, it appeared the 19-year-old high school dropout with a 2-year-old daughter had matured quickly since joining the Army and then going to war.

"He wanted his daughter to be proud of him," said his stepfather, Vincent Smith, a Lackland Air Force Base firefighter. "He grew into a man strictly overnight, by joining the Army. He was a little scared, but excited. He knew he was going to do good things."

Frantz, stationed in Germany, died June 18 from a grenade attack while on guard duty in Iraq. He joined the Army 10 months ago.

"We thought the war was over," said his mother, Kim Smith. "I told him, 'Be careful. Watch your back.' But I had no thoughts that there would be this."

Frantz is survived by his daughter, Shannon, and had planned to marry Ana Perez.

Three days before he left for Iraq, Benjamin L. Freeman was married in Colorado.

"He looked forward to being a wonderful husband to his wife, April, and having children of his own," said his mother, Vicki Freeman.

Freeman, 19, of Valdosta, Ga., drowned on Oct. 13 in the Euphrates River northwest of Baghdad. He had joined the Army earlier this year and was based at Fort Carson.

"He was only 19, but he was no longer just a teenager. He had become a determined young man, clear thinking and motivated," said his uncle, Lee Freeman. "He knew that we all recognized this, and he knew how proud we all were of him."

Freeman was an accomplished guitarist who wrote his own music. A recording of one of his songs was played at the funeral.

David K. Fribley had been working as a recreation coordinator at a retirement complex in Florida when anger over the Sept. 11 attacks helped inspire him to join the Marines.

"I'm not sure what God wants me to do after this is over ... But right now, I'm sure I'm where he wants me to be," Fribley, 26, said in one letter from Iraq to his parents, who live in Atwood, Ind.

Fribley, who was stationed at Camp Lejeune, was killed in action March 23.

Raised in northern Indiana, Fribley was a top high school athlete and an Indiana State University graduate, said his father, Garry Fribley. He said he and his son had talked about war's violence.

"That's part of war. People better wake up. There are no rules in war. ... It's time to take the gloves off," he said. "We're so intent on being the nice guys, and they (Iraqi soldiers) are not going to abide by anything."

David Travis Friedrich was a natural leader. He was co-captain of his college cross country team and was an ace recruiter of fellow distance runners in high school.

"Kids joined the cross country team because he made it fun," said his mother, Beth Friedrich. "He had that kind of personality. He was that kind of leader. He could get people to do things."

Friedrich, 26, of Naugatuck, Conn., was killed Sept. 20 when mortars hit a U.S. base outside Baghdad.

Friedrich enlisted in the reserves to help pay for graduate school, his mother said.

He studied criminal justice and chemistry as an undergraduate at Brockport (N.Y.) State College and was working on a master's degree in forensic science at the University of New Haven. He also had a full-time job at a factory.

Beth Friedrich said her son often surprised her with his intelligence.

"I just thought of him as my little boy," she said.

Luke Frist planned to enroll at Purdue University next fall to study landscape design.

"He loved to draw, and working outside with his hands. That's something he had a passion for and wanted to pursue as a career," said his sister Johanna Frist.

Frist, 20, of Brookston, Ind., died Jan. 5 from burns he suffered over 95 percent of his body when his fuel truck drove over a land mine near the city of Ar Ramadi, Iraq. He was with an Army Reserve unit in Lafayette, Ind.

Frist worked as a petroleum specialist, refueling Humvees and other military vehicles.

While he was interested in landscape design, he joined the Reserves out of a love for the military and a family tradition, his sister said. Their paternal grandfather served in World War II, and they have two cousins in the military.

"He died doing what he loved. He knew the sacrifices when he signed up, and he loved fighting for our freedom," Johanna Frist said.

Other survivors include his parents, Dennis and Patti Frist.

Kurt Frosheiser had a million-dollar smile, a knack with the guitar and a soft touch.

In e-mails from Iraq he took pains to reassure family in Des Moines, Iowa, that "they don't shoot at us much."

Frosheiser, 22, died Nov. 8 after the Humvee he was riding in hit a homemade bomb near Baghdad. He had been in Iraq for just two weeks. He is survived by his father, Chris Frosheiser, and mother, Jeanie Hudson-Holton.

Before joining the Army in April, Frosheiser had studied carpentry at a community college. He spoke of wanting to help the Iraqi people. Chris Frosheiser said his son knew joining the Army would be dangerous, but he wanted to so something important with his life.

"Before he left, he told us all to live our lives, to appreciate everything we have," he said. "He lived by the Army oath and values. That was Kurt. He lived that through and through."

Nichole M. Frye was slated to leave for Iraq just as her mother was recovering from major back surgery. Mother and daughter worked at the same restaurant, Nichole as a waitress and Lisa as a cook.

"I think she had some fears of going over there," her mother, Lisa Frye, said. "Actually she wanted to try and stay in the states because of my health."

Nichole Frye, 19, died Feb. 16 in Baqoubah, Iraq, when an explosive struck her convoy. She grew up in the tiny town of Lena, Wis., where she was a flutist in her high school band and a majorette, and had been in Iraq only two weeks when she died.

An Army reservist, Frye sent her family an e-mail explaining some of her duties: "She was delivering supplies like water and food and books to the kids," her mother said.

"She was really fun, a loving, outgoing person," her mother said. "She loved to help people. That's part of the reason she joined the Army."

As a sergeant in the Army Reserves, Dan Henry Gabrielson served with a unit that specializes in building bridges. His good qualities as a son, husband, father and worker were what led him to Iraq, the Rev. Will Mowchan said.

"In all these places, from his own home, to his job and all the way to Iraq, Dan tried to do the right things simply because they are the right things," Mowchan said. "It was not ever mainly about him. It was about his family, his friends, his community and his country."

Gabrielson, 40, of Frederic, Wis., was killed July 9 when his convoy came under attack north of Baghdad.

"It is comforting to know there are so many people we have never met before who care and are grateful for the sacrifices of women and men like my father, so we can live in a country where we can proclaim liberty and justice for all," said his oldest daughter, Vanessa Gabrielson, 20.

Jose A. Garibay planned to be a police officer when his Marine enlistment was completed next year. Now his memory will live as an inspiration to his 18-year-old cousin, Nelson Benavides.

"I've always wanted to be a police officer but he encourages me even more. Hopefully I'll finish his dream and he'll help me out spiritually," said Benavides, who is in the police Explorers youth program.

Garibay, 21, of Costa Mesa, Calif., and based at Camp Lejeune, was killed in action March 23.

A native of Jalisco, Mexico, Garibay and his family moved to the United States when he was a baby. He joined the Marines three years ago, and was awarded U.S. citizenship after his death.

Garibay wrote to his mother often and sent money home almost every month, family members said.

"It's such a deep pain I am feeling," his mother, Simona Garibay said in Spanish. "Nobody can imagine what a mother suffers."

Justin W. Garvey was married last year to Katie, his high school sweetheart literally the girl next door when he was growing up in Vermont.

"He was proud to serve and was never afraid of going over to fight," Katie Garvey said. "He is, and always will be, my best friend, soul mate and now my guardian angel."

Garvey, 23, from Townsend, Mass., and stationed at Fort Campbell, died July 20 in an attack in Iraq.

Garvey joined the Army National Guard in 1996, when he was a junior in high school, and signed up for regular basic training a year later.

As a soldier in the 101st Airborne, Garvey was sent to Pakistan after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. He also served in Afghanistan, and returned home on his 22nd birthday. A year later again on his birthday he was sent to Iraq.

"Any person that I know would be proud to call him their son," said his father, Greg Garvey of Keystone, Fla.

Joe J. Garza joined the Army a few years after high school graduation, and served more than two decades. He figured he'd serve even longer.

"He told me he was going to stay in for as long as the Army would let him," said nephew Sev Lopez. "He loved what he did."

Garza, 43, of Columbus, Ga., and based at Fort Benning, died April 28 in a vehicle accident in Iraq.

Lopez said that after he joined the National Guard he met several people who had Garza as a drill instructor during basic training. They told Lopez his uncle had been tough but fair.

"But I just couldn't picture him that way . . . as a mean drill instructor in someone's face," Lopez said.

"Of all 10 of us he was the one who would try and make you laugh," said Garza's sister, Manuela Espinoza. "He was the clown of the family."

Garza is survived by his wife of 24 years, Mary, sons Joe Garza Jr. and John, and daughter Myra.

Juan Guadalupe Garza was going to make the military his career.

"He was a kid that school came very hard for, but he really wanted to be a Marine," said his aunt, Jodi Bucher. "He studied and studied and studied."

Garza, 20, of Temperance, Mich., and based at Camp Pendleton, was killed April 8 in combat.

He moved to Michigan from San Benito, Texas, about five years ago to live with his aunt. He was the first from the Garza side of his family to graduate from high school and was proud of that, his aunt said.

Garza married his wife, Casey Garza, a soldier based at Walter Reed Army Institute of Research in Silver Spring, Md., on Dec. 26 shortly before he was deployed.

Taylor Raszka, who attended high school with Garza, said the soldier was like a big brother.

"He believed in me and he was always there for me," Raszka said. "Everything I do, no matter how far I go, I'm going to dedicate to him."

Ever since terrorists attacked the World Trade Center and the Pentagon, Cory Ryan Geurin wanted to be a Marine.

"He said, 'Mom, they're messin' with my country and I won't let it happen,'" said his mother, Darlene Geurin of Santee, Calif.

Geurin, 18, died July 15 when he fell from the roof of a palace in Iraq where he had been standing guard. He was stationed at Twentynine Palms.

He signed his enlistment papers two months after the terrorist attacks, even before finishing high school, where he was captain and Most Valuable Player on the wrestling team during his senior year.

Geurin had called home the morning of his death to say he planned to stay in the Marines after his tour in Iraq.

"He was so proud of himself," his mother said. "He believed in what he was doing. He was a leader."

Jonathan Gifford was always for the underdog, so relatives say it was fitting that he would be fighting for the Iraqi people's freedom.

"He said, with the way people were treated over there, that he was willing to go," said his mother, Vicky Langley.

Gifford, 30, from Decatur, and based at Camp Lejeune, died March 23 in combat.

Gifford graduated from high school in 1991 and joined the Marine Corps in 2001, fulfilling an ambition he had harbored since he was a teenager.

"He had wanted to join a couple times, and being a mother I convinced him not to. But the third time, I knew it was something he really wanted to do so I said OK," his mother said.

Her son, who was divorced, had a 4-year-old daughter.

Gifford was "quiet, real quiet" and loved hunting and fishing, his mother said: "He was an outdoorsy guy."

When high school senior Kyle Gilbert couldn't get into the military because of occasional headaches, he turned to Vermont's Sen. James Jeffords.

"I was used to people asking me to help them get out of the military, not the other way around," Jeffords said.

Gilbert, 20, was one of two soldiers killed Aug. 6 when their unit was fired on from a passing vehicle in Baghdad. Gilbert, who excelled in martial arts, grew up in Brattleboro, Vt., and was stationed at Fort Bragg.

Regina Gilbert said her son wanted to be in the military like his father, Robert, and jump out of planes. She fondly recalled their telephone conversation after his first jump.

"There was excitement in his voice," she said. "It was just like I was talking to my husband."

Cornell W. Gilmore had achieved stature as sergeant major of the JAG Corps and chief adviser to the judge advocate general for enlisted issues, but friends said his real passion was working with ordinary soldiers.

"He cared desperately about taking care of soldiers, not only soldiers in the JAG Corps, but the ability of JAG to take care of all military members," said Jack Nevin, a judge and Army Reserve colonel who had worked with Gilmore.

"He died doing what he liked doing best, which was going out in field and meeting with our young soldiers."

Gilmore, 45, was killed Nov. 7 when the Black Hawk helicopter he was riding crashed near Tikrit, Iraq. He was assigned to the Pentagon and lived in Stafford, Va., with his wife, Donna Gilmore. Their two children attend college.

"He was a dynamic leader, an inspirational leader," Nevin said.

Gilmore served in the JAG Corps, which provides judges and lawyers for the Army's military courts, throughout his 22-year career. He was also a minister of music at Shiloh Christian Church in Stafford.

Jesse Givens' family received word of his death only an hour after President Bush announced the end of major combat operations in Iraq.

"Of course we were still concerned, but we thought (the war) was over," said Givens' brother, Reg Givens, of Lamar, Mo. "We thought maybe in a short time, he'd be coming home."

Givens, 34, a native of Springfield, Mo., died after a riverbank gave way and the tank he was in plunged into the Euphrates River.

Givens was already in his 30s, a decade or more older than most other new enlistees, when he joined the Army after being laid off. Most of his buddies in boot camp good-naturedly called him "grandpa," or "pops," but the former high school wrestler and football player did well in basic training.

"He was a great man, kind of the hero type, always helping the underdog," Reg Givens said. "He didn't care for people picking on people. He had a good heart."

Givens married his longtime sweetheart, Melissa, after basic training and the two lived near Fort Carson. He had a 5-year-old stepson, Dakota, and his wife was pregnant when he died.

Despite being a world away, Michael T. Gleason thought often of his northwest Pennsylvania home. The last time he spoke with his parents, Gleason hungered for news from Warren, the small town near the Allegheny National Forest where he grew up.

His father, Timothy Gleason Sr., said Michael was almost finished with his four-year stint in the Army.

"His goal was to come home to Warren," the elder Gleason said. "He was toying with college. He was toying with re-enlisting. He was going to come home and take the summer off."

Gleason, 25, was one of three soldiers killed in a vehicle accident May 30 in Iraq. He was stationed at Fort Bragg.

Timothy and Laurie Gleason have another son in Iraq Timothy Jr., 28, serving in the Air Force.

"My two sons went into the military," the father said. "They took an oath."

Four days before he died in Iraq, Christopher A. Golby talked with his parents via Web camera.

"He was laughing. He was joking. It was great," said his father, Ronald Golby of Johnstown, Pa. "He loved his job. He loved to fly. I'm proud of him."

Ronald and Dawn Golby had gotten to see their son for a week in November, and were looking forward to his return home in March.

Golby, 26, was killed Jan. 8 when a Black Hawk medical evacuation helicopter went down near Fallujah, Iraq. He was stationed at Fort Carson.

Christopher Golby planned to become a pilot when he left the military, although his father said he thought of fostering his interest in computers and persuading him to work at his business in nearby Richland.

"He was always there to help me," Ronald Golby said.

Survivors also include his wife, Sonya, and sons Dylan and Sean.

David J. Goldberg was married for only three days before he left for Iraq.

He had met Sarah South in January while shopping at a Wal-Mart where she worked. They were married in February.

"Thank God for the telephone," said his mother, Dolly Goldberg. "They talked a lot and grew quite close. She's devastated."

Goldberg, 20, of Layton, Utah, was killed Nov. 26 in a non-combat accident in Qayyarah, Iraq. He was stationed at Fort Carson.

Goldberg entered the Army in 2001 and served in Bosnia before he was discharged this year. He joined the Reserves after his discharge.

"I asked him if he was scared, and he said, 'I can handle it.' He was very good with his weapon and was very accurate," his brother Kevin Goldberg said.

Armando Ariel Gonzalez never forgot his family.

"He was serious, affectionate and responsible," said his father, Julio Orlando Gonzalez. "He always hung out with his brother and me. Even after he married he always came around. He looked after me, his brother and his wife."

Gonzalez, 25, of Hialeah, Fla., was killed April 14 when a commercial refueling truck collapsed as he worked beneath it. He was based at the Marine Corps Air Station at Beaufort, S.C.

Gonzalez came to the United States from Cuba in 1995 and learned English at Miami-Dade Community College in Florida. He was married about seven months before his death, and his wife was pregnant when he died.

A few hours before his death, Gonzalez talked to his wife from Iraq, his father said.

"He said that he felt good," Julio Gonzalez said. "Everything was going good."

Jesus A. Gonzalez was hoping to figure out his next steps in life, and his best friend and cousin were stationed at Twentynine Palms. So he joined the military too surprising some of those who knew him well.

"He meant to find out what career he would take," said his step-grandfather, Leopoldo Treviano Sr.

Gonzalez, 22, of Indio, Calif., and based at Twentynine Palms, died April 12 in combat.

"We were worried because those things can happen," family friend Maria Olmeda said.

Neighbors and relatives said Gonzalez briefly studied at College of the Desert before joining the Marines. "We were kind of shocked he joined," Olmeda said.

Gonzalez was almost done with his two years of service when he was deployed to the Middle East, Olmeda said. He leaves a wife and 2-year-old daughter, who live in Indio.

Jorge A. Gonzalez became a dad for the first time on March 4. He learned about the birth of his son, Alonso, just days before he was killed in combat March 23.

The family last saw Gonzalez and his wife at Christmas and were surprised to see that she was pregnant.

"It was really beautiful," said his father, Mario Gonzalez. "It's a memory I will hold on to."

Gonzalez, 20, from Los Angeles and stationed at Camp Lejeune, loved soccer and wanted to use his military experience to help him become a police officer.

"He understood the sacrifice," his father said.

In his last letter home, Gonzalez told his family not to worry.

"If you can wait a little longer," he wrote, "we'll see each other in summer. God willing."

The last time Bernard G. Gooden saw his mother was on Christmas, when she cooked his favorite food from his childhood in Jamaica. They sat on the floor and talked about his dream of becoming a lawyer.

The straight-A student had been excited to go overseas, said his mother, Carmen Thompkins of Mount Vernon, N.Y. But once there, he described the experience as "horrible." She sent him a care package of cheese, crackers and other goodies.

A few days before her son was killed, Thompkins received a thank-you letter from him that was "the best letter that anybody could ever have," she said through her tears.

Gooden, 22, was killed during a firefight April 4 in Iraq. He was stationed at Camp Lejeune.

"He was a kid any mother would love to have," Thompkins said. "He was very warm."

Gooden attended York College in Toronto, Canada, but had to leave because the family couldn't afford the tuition. He joined the Marines in 2001 as a way to finish his education.

After almost 20 years in the Army, Richard Steven Gottfried was ready to retire. But that didn't stop the water-treatment specialist from throwing himself into his work ensuring the safety of the 1st Infantry's water supply.

"Dad had no fear," Eric Gottfried said of his father. "He loved his country, he was proud of his country and he wanted to defend it. Whatever the commander in chief would ask of him, he would do. He was glad to put himself in harm's way for his men and his mission."

The 42-year-old soldier from Lake Ozark, Mo., was killed March 9 by an explosive near Tikrit, Iraq. He was based in Kitzengen, Germany.

"I spoke to him the day before he finally got in there," Eric Gottfried said. "He was bragging about how he had his ammunition and his Humvee and his buddies." Richard Steven Gottfried and his wife, Mary Jo, last saw each other when they went on a cruise during the soldier's Christmastime leave.

Richard A. Goward served on active duty with the Army from 1990 to 1996, then joined the Michigan National Guard after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.

"He told me, 'If I can't protect my family, then who can?,'" said Goward's wife, Karen.

Goward, 32, of Midland, Mich., was killed April 14 in Iraq when his truck entered a dust cloud and collided with another truck.

Goward's survivors also include two daughters, ages 8 and 5.

"Ric was a wonderful husband and father," his wife said. "He enjoyed jujitsu (a form of martial arts) and outdoor activities."

Jeffrey C. Graham always included the same two sentences in every e-mail he sent home from Iraq: "God, I love the Army," and "Please pray for my platoon."

After his younger brother committed suicide in June, the military offered Graham a stateside staff job, but he chose to go overseas.

"I couldn't sleep at night. ... There's a war going on. I couldn't do a desk job. My country needs me. I'm going," Carol Graham recalled her son saying.

The 24-year-old from Elizabethtown, Ky., was leading a foot patrol Feb. 19 in Khaldiyah, Iraq, when he was killed by an explosive. He was stationed at Fort Riley.

A high school golfer and avid basketball fan, Graham was remembered by friends and teachers as energetic and giving. "He was just very considerate, and when you were talking to him, you were important, and you could tell that," said high school classmate Melissa Maddox.

Before his deployment, Graham had planned to marry Stacey Martinez on Nov. 6. He gave her a toy bear that still plays his recorded message: "I'm safe and I'll be home soon."

"I kept thinking that Jeff was going to come home safely," Martinez said. "There was no way that God was going to let that family lose another son."

Other survivors include Graham's father, Mark, an Army colonel.

Michael J. Gray expressed his faith in an untraditional way - with rhyme.

"He was known as 'Mikey G, Rapper for Jesus,' " the Rev. Jeff Mickle said.

The 32-year-old was killed March 5 in Kuwait when a civilian vehicle hit the car he was driving. He was from Richmond, Va., where his Navy Reserves unit was based.

In one of Gray's raps he said he was ready for death, and he spoke of his vision of heaven: "Won't be no guns/ won't be no knives/ Hear the best preaching that/ you ever heard in your lives."

In Kuwait, he was providing base security. Survivors include his wife, Tisha, and four daughters, the oldest of whom is 7.

Kyle Griffin found his identity in the Army. The 20-year-old matured and started training for the Army's elite Rangers unit before being deployed to Iraq.

Before his Army life, "he always loved guns, hated discipline, hated working," said his father, Ronald Griffin. But the Army tapped a sense of duty, and the boy who slept late and hated yard work grew to embrace reveille and the long marches that condition soldiers.

Griffin, a native of Emerson, N.J., stationed at Fort Bragg, was killed May 30 in a truck accident in Iraq.

Family friends said Griffin's letters showed just how much he had grown. He apologized for his mistaken youth and told his mother how much he loved her.

"He found meaning and purpose, and that helped him become a man," said the Rev. John H. Danner.

"He's a young man who made a far bigger impact on his community than he ever would have thought when he left here," said his high school principal, Earl Kim.

Patrick Lee Griffin Jr. joined the Air Force five years ago for the education benefits, and was sent to Iraq as combat was winding down.

He was killed May 13 when his convoy was ambushed en route to Baghdad.

"He'd only been there three weeks," said his stepmother, Paula Griffin of Groton, N.Y. "We thought the war was over with ... it was a total shock."

Griffin, 31, originally from Elgin, S.C., was a data systems technician based at Eglin Air Force Base.

He held a strong bond with his father the two talked endlessly about NASCAR, Paula Griffin said. Griffin had known his wife, Michelle, since childhood and married her in 1997. They had two children, Mackensie, 2, and Cory, 4.

"He enjoyed his children tremendously," Paula Griffin said. "He just adored them. He adored his wife."

Sean R. Grilley started getting interested in police work while helping to rehabilitate buildings in a downtrodden neighborhood of San Bernardino, Calif. His father-in-law said he stood up to criminals on the streets, including a time when he was approached by would-be carjackers.

"We were trying to clean up the streets, and Sean was a part of that," Jeff Jacobson said. "He only lived in San Bernardino for a few months, but he really liked the idea of going after crime. That's when he began talking about federal police work, and the military was the easiest way to do that."

Grilley, 24, joined the Army in 2001 and was stationed at Fort Campbell. He was one of three soldiers killed Oct. 16 in a clash with gunmen guarding the headquarters of a Shiite cleric in Karbala in southern Iraq.

He is survived by his wife, Lucy.

Joseph R. Guerrera seemed destined for the Army.

The 20-year-old North Carolina native grew up about 25 miles from Fort Bragg, and always told family and friends he wanted to be in the Army. His biological father, a soldier in the Army as well, died in a helicopter crash when Guerrera was 4.

Guerrera, who enlisted in February and was stationed at Fort Bragg, died Oct. 26 in Baghdad when his vehicle was hit with an improvised explosive device.

"Ever since he was 5 or 6 years old he talked the Army talk," said his aunt, Debbie Dunn. "We were just so proud of him because he was anxious to serve his country. He was just so proud of it."

Dunn said the family is grieving, but is coping because Guerrera was fighting for freedom.

"We are thankful to God that we were able to know him for 20 years," Dunn said.

Hans N. Gukeisen grew up in a military family his father is retired from the Naval Reserve and his brother is in the Army. So it wasn't a surprise when he joined the Army right out of high school, served in the 1991 Gulf War, and went on to fulfill his dream of flying military helicopters.

"He was really excited by what he was doing now in the military. He was always enthusiastic about flight and flying helicopters," said Chris Blair, who graduated from high school in Lead, S.D., with Gukeisen.

"He was just the kind of person, a rare sort, you would always be real proud to have as a friend. He would always stick by you."

Gukeisen, 31, was one of three soldiers killed May 9 in a helicopter crash during the rescue of an Iraqi child injured in an explosion.

Besides military interests, Gukeisen was involved in theater. During his sophomore year in high school, he worked on the production crew for the school play "Fiddler on the Roof."

"A father couldn't be any more proud of the way his son turned out than how Hans turned out," said his father, Terry Gukeisen.

Christian Gurtner loved bowling, the Atlanta Braves and Ohio State football. He loved to laugh and stir things up, too.

"He had this smile," said childhood friend Alicia Sterling, 17. "And you knew when you saw that smile you were going to get into trouble."

Gurtner, 19, of Ohio City, Ohio, and based at Twentynine Palms, died April 2 when his weapon accidentally discharged. He leaves a 6-month-old daughter.

When he joined the Marines a year ago, that's all he talked about. "He had his whole heart in doing it," Sterling said.

Staff Sgt. Eryck Little, who recruited Gurtner, described him as motivated and hard-charging: "He was the type of guy who stepped up to the plate to a challenge."

Gurtner's family last talked with him in early February.

"He said he was good to go," said his mother, Eldona Wagonrod repeating a phrase he often said.

An orphan who grew up on the streets amid civil strife in Guatemala, Jose Gutierrez traveled to the United States by train, foot and bus in the mid-1990s.

He found his way into Los Angeles County's foster care system, graduated from high school and attended community college. Partly to repay the United States, he became an infantry rifleman based at Camp Pendleton.

"For him it was a question of honor," foster brother Max Mosquera said.

Gutierrez, 28, of Los Angeles died March 21 in combat. He won U.S. citizenship after his death.

Gutierrez had promised to bring sister Engracia Sirin Gutierrez to America. She finally arrived, for his funeral.

"I am going to complete his promise by coming back here to live," she said.

A poem called "Letter to God" that Gutierrez wrote in 2000 was read during the service.

"Thank you for permitting me to live another year, thank you for what I have, for the type of person I am, for my dreams that don't die," he wrote.

Rick Hafer's love for his two half-sisters led him to join the Army, family members said

"His sisters were his whole life," said Sherry Barclay, his former stepmother, who raised him for much of his childhood. "He said when he left that he wanted to keep our home ground safe for them to live in."

The 21-year-old was killed Nov. 15 when two Black Hawk helicopters collided in Iraq. He lived in Nitro, W.Va., and was based at Fort Campbell. He is survived by his father, Richard Hafer.

At 6 feet 5 inches and 275 pounds, Hafer was known for his "commanding presence," First Sgt. Perry Bunn said.

Hafer was a star defensive lineman in his Laurel Valley, Pa., high school, but poor grades kept him from entering college to play football. He hoped joining the Army would enable him to pursue his college football dream.

"He wanted to prove to everybody that he could be somebody," Barclay said.

Charles Haight was the soldier's official name, but most people knew him as C.G., a guy who first played clarinet in his rural high school's band, then later joined the football team.

Haight, 23, of Jacksonville, Ala., was killed in Iraq when his vehicle struck an explosive. He was based at Fort Lewis.

He joined the Army after serving in the Marine Reserve, and re-enlisted so he could later go to college on the G.I. bill to become a nurse, his family said.

"He wanted to help people," said his father, Don Haight.

Survivors also include his wife, Michelle, and their 10-month-old son, Gabriel, born shortly before the mechanic was deployed overseas.

"He loved kids, and for him to have a baby, then only be able to see it for six weeks is hard that made it hard for him in Iraq," Don Haight said.

Even as a child, Jesse M. Halling was focused on life as a soldier.

"Everything was about the military," said his mother, Pam Halling. "Ever since he was in kindergarten, drawing pictures of jets and helicopters and tanks ... it was just in him."

Halling, 19, of Indianapolis died June 7 during a battle north of Baghdad. He was stationed at Fort Hood.

Halling has been widely praised for his actions during the battle, ordering others in his unit to take cover while he remained at his post and returned fire until he was hit by shrapnel.

"Jesse went over to Iraq to help a people have a freedom, to help a people have a peace," the Rev. D. Michael Welch said.

Even though Erik A. Halvorsen was a career soldier who had served in Korea, Bosnia and Operation Desert Storm, his mother thought this assignment was different.

"I had a bad feeling since the time he left," Dorothy Halvorsen said. "He knew he was going to a dangerous place."

Halvorsen placed his personal effects and important papers in storage and arranged it so his family could retrieve them, she said.

"He was a man of few words, but those actions ..., " she said, her voice trailing off.

Halvorsen, 40, of Bennington, Vt., died April 2 when the helicopter he was flying crashed.

He had joined the Army after earning a bachelor's degree in electronic engineering at the University of Hartford and was stationed at Fort Stewart.

Halvorsen, who was divorced, wrote a letter home just before the war started. He expressed hope for a peaceful resolution of the conflict.

Back in third grade, Kimberly Hampton wrote a paper that described how she had always wanted to fly.

"We gave that to her as part of her graduation gift from Army flight school, and I think it pretty much blew her away that she had written such things as that as far back as the third grade," said her father, Dale Hampton.

Hampton, 27, of Easley, S.C., was killed Jan. 2 when the helicopter she was piloting was shot down near Fallujah, Iraq. Hampton, based at Fort Bragg, was the first female pilot killed in Iraq.

An honors graduate from Presbyterian College, she was the battalion commander of the ROTC unit there. Her leadership was clear even before then: In high school, she was president of the student body and captain of the tennis team.

Hampton was in her second term of military service, having earlier served in Korea and Afghanistan. She had planned to marry Army Capt. Will Braman when they both returned from Iraq.

"She was doing what she enjoyed doing. She was trained well, and she felt it an honor to serve her country," said her mother, Ann.

Michael S. Hancock was an avid bicyclist who loved children but cars were something of a problem.

"He could ride a bicycle 100 miles and come back by lunchtime," said his father, Michael R. Hancock. "But he could never pass his driver's test."

The 29-year-old soldier, a native of Yreka, Calif., died during a gun battle in Mosul, Iraq, on Oct. 24 when armed men attacked a grain storage facility.

He joined the Army in 1993 after high school graduation and planned to make his career in the military, his wife, Jeannie Hancock said. The couple met when she was driving and almost struck his bike. They met by chance later that night at a coffee shop.

"He was a very loving father and husband," Jeannie Hancock said. "He was so funny that he'd make you laugh all the time."

He was based at Fort Campbell and lived in Clarksville, Tenn. In addition to his wife, survivors include two children and two stepchildren.

Warren S. Hansen earned a reputation for heroism even before his military service, receiving a medal for saving a man from drowning when he was just 15.

"He's very handsome and very decorated. He has numerous awards," said the Rev. Vilas Mazemke, his pastor. "He was a very good troop, one of high morale."

Hansen, 36, of Clintonville, Wis., died Nov. 15 when two Black Hawk helicopters collided in Iraq. He was assigned to Fort Campbell, and is survived by his brother.

The 17-year veteran had always wanted to serve in the military, following a family tradition. His father died while serving, and his stepfather was a Marine.

"That's what he wanted to be ever since he was a little guy," Mazemke said.

Hansen, who had served in Desert Storm and in Bosnia, wrote Mazemke an e-mail about the recent deaths of three friends in Iraq. "It's gotten personal, the one thing I hoped wouldn't happen," Mazemke recalled Hansen wrote.

The last time Kenneth W. Harris Jr. talked to his twin brother, he seemed more concerned about folks back home than about himself.

"I can't even explain it. I just talked to him last weekend," Nathan Harris said. "He didn't even think about himself. He just wanted to know that everybody (at home) is OK."

The 23-year-old Harris was driving on a supply route when he was fatally injured in a traffic accident in Scania, Iraq, on Aug. 20.

Harris, of Charlotte, Tenn., was in the Army Reserves.

John D. Hart was as loving as he was lovable, sure to one day become a teacher or a counselor.

But Hart wanted to be in the military, a resolve strengthened after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, said his father, Brian Hart.

Hart, 20, who enlisted in the Army after high school and was based at Fort Hood, was killed Oct. 18 when his patrol came under fire in Iraq.

"I know you had a warrior's heart. You dreamed of being a soldier and you lived your dream," the elder Hart said at a memorial service for his son in their hometown of Bedford, Mass.

"I presumed you'd come back and become a teacher or a counselor. You already were a counselor to many."

Brian Hart said he wished his son knew how his death had brought an entire town together in grief "a town united now in sorrow."

Survivors also include his mother, Alma.

The Army was a family tradition for Nathaniel Hart Jr., whose father and grandfather both served, but his loved ones remember him as much more than a soldier.

To them, Hart was a family man who loved to take his two sons fishing and camping. He was a devout Christian who served as a youth pastor, sang in the choir and played drums in the church band.

"I believe he was as big a hero in life as he is in death," said Hart's sister, Valarie Lowry. "He was a good example for everybody. His love and kindness were what he was known for. He was sweet in spirit."

Hart, 29, died July 28 in a vehicle accident in Iraq. He was from Valdosta, Ga., and stationed at Hunter Army Airfield.

Lowry said her brother's wife, Erica, was struggling with the realization that she would be raising their sons, 7-year-old Nathaniel III and 5-year-old Gabriel, without him.

"He had a big role in his family's life and his sons' lives," Lowry said.

Stephen C. Hattamer enjoyed weight lifting, water skiing and snow skiing, but he was famous for his chocolate cake using his mother's recipe.

Hattamer, 43, was killed Dec. 25 when his living quarters in Baquba, Iraq, came under mortar attack.

His Army Reserve unit was based in Ellsworth, Wis., and he lived in Sawyer, Mich., where he was an active member of Victory Lutheran Church.

Hattamer had previously served as an a military policeman for 16 years and was also a member of the Marine and Army Reserves for nine years.

Survivors include his wife, Karen, and children, Bryce, Alyssa and Tyler.

With the beat of drums, the chant of traditional songs and a march through town, members of the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe paid tribute to a hometown soldier, Sheldon Hawk Eagle.

More than 1,000 people gathered in a high school gymnasium in Eagle Butte, S.D., to honor Hawk Eagle, who was killed Nov. 15 when two Army helicopters collided in Iraq. He was based at Fort Campbell.

His Lakota name was Wanbli Ohitika, or Brave Eagle.

"He's a hero," said Harold Frazier, the tribal chairman. "He defended our country and protected our freedom."

Hawk Eagle, 21, joined the Army while he visiting his sister in North Dakota and dreamed of becoming an elite Army Ranger, his cousin said.

Tom Hawk Eagle said his cousin was humble and quiet but loosened up around family and friends. "He was fun," said Tom Hawk Eagle, adding that the two men grew up calling each other brothers.

He said Hawk Eagle was a descendant of the Lakota leader Crazy Horse who helped defeat Lt. Col. George Custer at the Battle of Little Big Horn.

Survivors include his sister, Frankie Hawk Eagle.

At age 26, Timothy L. Hayslett had already served eight years in the Army and had just re-enlisted with the idea of spending his entire career in the military. From Iraq, he complained about the heat but otherwise seemed to be enjoying his job and was in good spirits.

"He said, 'Don't worry about me, Mom. My guys and I take care of each other. We're all going to come out of this alive. We'll be all right,'" said his mother, Mary Hayslett.

Hayslett, who was from Carlisle, Pa., and stationed in Germany, died Nov. 15 when the Humvee he was in was hit by a grenade in Baghdad. Survivors include his wife, Kori, and daughters Gracy and Kaitlyn.

"When I found out that he was going to Iraq, I was worried that he was afraid," Mary Hayslett said. "Then he called from Germany and he said, 'Mom, I'm not afraid. I'm ready to drive my tank right onto Saddam's front steps.'

Before becoming a helicopter pilot, Brian D. Hazelgrove worked in military intelligence and served two tours of duty in South Korea.

"The guy was amazing," said his half-brother, Brad Lemon. "He thrived in the military and was making it a career."

Hazelgrove, 29, of Fort Rucker, Ala., died Jan. 23 when his helicopter crashed near Mosul, Iraq. He was assigned to Fort Drum.

Hazelgrove graduated from high school in Edinburgh, Ind. He joined the Army in 1994 and had been in Iraq since November.

"He was a bright, very personable and very likable young man. He had a great sense of humor," said David East, a former high school principal.

Survivors include his wife, Kimmi, and four children.

The cornfields of Silvana, Wash., had little to offer an ebullient 17-year-old like Justin W. Hebert, who had never even been on a plane before.

He wanted to go to college, but his family didn't have the money, and he worried his grades would suffer if he tried to work his way through. So five days after graduating from high school, he shipped out with the Army.

Hebert's parents signed the paperwork for him to enlist; he was too young to do it himself.

On Aug. 1, four days after his 20th birthday, he was killed when a rocket-propelled grenade hit his vehicle during a night patrol near Kirkuk, Iraq.

Hebert was stationed at Camp Ederle in Italy and met his girlfriend there, but the military was never his dream, said his 21-year-old sister, Jessica.

"He wanted to get out of this area and make something of himself. He was in Iraq just so he could get out and have an education," she said.

In their last conversation before Damian L. Heidelberg left for Iraq, his childhood friend Jerry Jones Jr. told him not to go and get himself killed.

"He just told me that he was trying to make something of himself," Jones said. "He was trying to make it for his family and his baby."

The 21-year-old administrative specialist from Shubuta, Miss., was killed Nov. 15 when two Black Hawk helicopters collided in Iraq. He was based at Fort Campbell.

Heidelberg, a former choir member and church usher, was "a wonderful young man, sweet and mild-mannered," said Phyllis Heidelberg, his aunt. "He was slow to speak, loved to go to church and always had a big smile."

Jones said the two were inseparable as children. "That was my boy," Jones said of his life-long friend. "If he got in trouble, I got in trouble. We were always in it together."

Heidelberg is survived by his father, Grady Jones, his mother, Deborah Heidelberg, and a 2-year-old daughter, Stacie.

Raheen Tyson Heighter recently wrote to his mother from Iraq, urging his family not to worry.

"Time goes by like a continuous Groundhog Day over here," he wrote in a June 20 letter. "In the beginning, there was a lot of bloodshed, but now it's all over ... The good news is I will be coming home in September, October at the latest."

Heighter, 22, from Bay Shore, N.Y., was one of three soldiers killed July 24 when their convoy was ambushed. He was stationed at Fort Campbell.

"He was a good boy and a phenomenal talent," said his uncle Ron Adams. "He would display his work at arts festivals. No matter what he was doing, he aspired to be best."

When Brian R. Hellermann joined the military after high school in Minnesota, it was his way of honoring his father, who died when Hellermann was about 15.

"Throughout high school and even after, there were several times when he was talking about his dad and how he wanted his dad to be proud of him and the life he was living," said Scott Middendorf, a former classmate who is now a recruiter for the Minnesota National Guard. "I'm pretty sure that was his whole reason for joining the military in the first place."

Hellermann, 35, of Freeport, Minn., was killed Aug. 6 in an ambush in Baghdad. He is survived by his wife, Michelle, and two children son Travis, 14, and daughter Katelynn, 9.

Stationed at Fort Bragg, Hellerman had been in the military for 17 years and planned to retire sometime after 20 years.

In a Feb. 13 e-mail to a friend, Hellermann wrote, "I'm still in because I want to provide the freedom to all those I love and care about."

Terry Hemingway was proud to command two Bradley fighting vehicles, but he was ready for civilian life after 19 years in the military. He had planned to retire later this year.

He wanted more time to spend with his wife, Darlene, and their three children Danisha, 7; Venetia, 9; and Terry Jr., 11; who in school pictures flash the same life-of-the-party smile as their father.

Hemingway, 39, of Willingboro, N.J., and based at Fort Benning, was killed April 10 in an explosion in Baghdad. His brother, Army Sgt. Gary Hemingway, also was serving in Iraq.

Their mother, Eva Hemingway-Shannon, held a Feb. 26 letter filled with lines that were pure Terry. As she read them, she had trouble stopping the tears.

"'Hey Mommy. How are you and Dad?' He always started off with, 'Mommy.' He always called me 'Mommy' unless he was mad at me," Hemingway-Shannon said.

Kenneth Hendrickson could get a group of people to skip on their way home from a restaurant or dance in their seats during a long road trip.

He was willing to try almost anything and believed in having fun, said his wife, Reane. His son, Trevor, said Hendrickson always set aside "guy time" for them and was at ease with Trevor's high school friends.

"He was really a big kid to me," Trevor said.

Hendrickson, 41, died Jan. 24 when his convoy was hit by a roadside bomb north of Fallujah, Iraq. His Army Reserve unit was based in Bismarck, N.D.

He joined the National Guard in 1989. Described by his wife as a "computer geek through and through," Hendrickson, of Bismarck, worked as a computer technician for the local school district.

His mother recalled Hendrickson's descriptions of poverty in Iraq.

"He felt he needed to be there," Adeline Reis said. "He never complained."

Edward James Herrgott was a quiet man, one who was starting to find his way in the world with the help of the military.

"The Army gave him a little discipline, a little guidance in his life. He was getting on track," said Troy Schimek, a 19-year-old longtime friend of Herrgott's family.

Herrgott, 20, of Shakopee, Minn., died July 3 when a sniper shot him in the neck outside the national museum in Baghdad.

Herrgott, known as "Jim," was Schimek's role model. While he made some mistakes, he always "took it in stride and righted himself," Schimek said.

Stationed in Germany, Herrgott hoped to earn enough money in the Army to become a police officer, said his parents, Marcia and Edward Herrgott of Shakopee.

Gregory B. Hicks enlisted in the Army less than a month after high school graduation, an adventurous 17-year-old who longed to see the world. He got his wish, serving for almost 19 years, traveling the globe and participating in both Iraq wars.

"He always talked about wanting to go and fly and going places that he'd never been to before," said his mother, Flora Hicks. "He said there wasn't anything out here for him."

Hicks, 35, of Duff, Tenn., was killed Jan. 8, one of nine soldiers killed when a medical transport helicopter was shot down south of Fallujah, Iraq. Hicks was on his way home to the United States for surgery after suffering shrapnel wounds and knee damage.

Hicks, based at Fort Hood, had decided to retire from the Army before he was wounded so he could spend more time with his wife, Melinda, and their children, Chris, 13, and Jennifer, 18.

Christopher Hill, known for his 1966 Mustang in high school, later channeled his abundant energy into the Army - enlisting in the reserves after already serving more than three years in the military.

"When I think of Chris, I especially smile," said sister April Samprone, 28. "He had a lot of positive energy."

Hill, 26, died March 11 after his vehicle hit a roadside bomb in Fallujah, Iraq. He was based at Fort Riley.

Originally from Moorpark, Calif., Hill moved to Charlotte, N.C., with his wife. Cheryl Hill said her husband was determined to go to Iraq last year: "He just couldn't stand the fact that this was going on and he wasn't doing anything about it," she said. "He wanted to help."

Hill re-enlisted in April and went to Iraq in the fall.

Other survivors include his 1-year-old daughter, Cierra.

Keicia M. Hines was working in the arms room handing out weapons when she met Sean Hines. They married on Christmas Eve in 2001.

"We clowned a lot. We had fun, bottom line. I was in love with her," Sean Hines said.

The 27-year-old soldier from Citrus Heights, Calif., died after being struck by a vehicle in Mosul, Iraq, on Jan. 14. She was stationed at Fort Bragg.

Sean Hines said his wife loved the movies and loved to shop. The day before she died, she sent him an e-mail asking him to order some clothes and shoes from a trendy store.

In the e-mail she told her husband she was "exhausted and couldn't wait to get home and that she loved me," Sean Hines said.

"She was having a difficult time being in Iraq with all the devastation," said her mother, Beverly Coleman of Sacramento, Calif. "I would just tell her to take it one day at a time."

On the same day that Coleman learned of her daughter's death, she received a package from Hines containing a purse stuffed with beads, money and a note that said "I love you, Mommy."

Nicolas M. Hodson, the father of 2-year-old son, had dreams of settling down into a life as a Marine recruiter.

"He was so proud of being a Marine, of serving his country," said his twin sister, Nicole. "He passed doing what he loved to do."

Hodson, 22, of Smithville, Mo., and based at Camp Lejeune, was killed in a vehicle accident in Iraq.

Hodson died just a few months after his mother died of cancer.

Michelle Smith, the mother of Hodson's son, Braden, said she had received six letters from him, and was hoping for a seventh.

"I just want one last letter from him," Smith said through tears. "He said he sent one more. I hope."

James Thomas Hoffman was a caring man, said Capt. Terrence Alvarez, who worked with him at Fort Riley.

"He invited my son horseback riding with him and his family one day last summer. It was really a blessed day and a memory I will cherish, as will my son always," Alvarez said at a memorial service for Hoffman and three comrades.

Hoffman, 41, was killed Jan. 27 in a bomb attack in Khalidiyah, Iraq.

After three years in the Army Reserve, Hoffman joined the active Army in 1987 and was assigned to Fort Campbell. He served in the Gulf War, later was stationed in Germany, and then at Fort Riley in 1994. In 1998, he was assigned to recruiting duty in Des Moines, Iowa.

He returned to Fort Riley in 2001 and was deployed to Iraq in September.

Hoffman grew up in Palatine, Ill., and was married, according to Fort Riley officials.

Christopher Holland was in college when he surprised his dad and decided to join the Army.

He decided to become a medic because he was thinking about going into nursing, Jim Holland said.

"He always wanted to be independent and work on his own, but I think gradually over a couple years, he changed his mind and joined the Army," he said.

Holland, 26, of Brunswick, Ga., died Dec. 17 when his Baghdad patrol unit was ambushed with small arms fire. He was based in Smith Barracks, Germany.

Holland attended Valdosta State University before joining the Army. He had been stationed in Baghdad since April, his father said.

"He was a true friend because he had lots of friends. They've been calling," he said.

Other survivors include his mother, Mary Jo Holland of Lunenburg, Mass.

Lincoln Hollinsaid caught the Army bug when he was working for a construction company after high school.

"A friend he worked with had been in the military and started telling Linc about it, and he just got infatuated with it," said his father, Dan Hollinsaid.

Hollinsaid, 27, of Malden, Ill., and based at Fort Stewart, died April 7 during a battle at Saddam Hussein Airport in Baghdad.

"His main concern was that the young soldiers under him were trained properly. He wanted to take care of them," his father said.

He said his son loved two things the military and the outdoors. About a year ago, the soldier took his parents four-wheeling in the mountains.

"When he wasn't marching or doing something for the military, he was marching through the mountains on his own," his father said.

While in South America fighting drug dealers for the U.S. military, Kelly L. Hornbeck flew a Texas flag over his camp.

When asked by a friend, retired Command Sgt. Maj. Joseph Callahan, why the banner was chosen, Hornbeck replied: "When those guerrillas attack, I want them to know there's a Texan here."

Hornbeck, 36, was wounded Jan. 16 when an explosive device hit his vehicle near Samarraon. The soldier, who was stationed at Fort Carson, died two days later.

Born in Selma, Ala., Hornbeck graduated high school in 1985 in Fort Worth, and left Tarleton State University in Stephenville, Texas, after a year to join the military.

"Dad was a great friend," one of Hornbeck's daughters, 11-year-old Jacqueline McCall, said at her father's funeral. "He died for his country and he was the best soldier because he was brave."

He is also survived by his daughter Tyler Hornbeck, 7.

"When people ask me what was my favorite memory of my dad, I say I don't know because I have so many," Tyler wrote in a message read at her father's memorial.

When Bert E. Hoyer enlisted in the Army Reserves, he was looking for a way to pay for college. But he discovered he liked the reserves and talked about re-enlisting.

"He was proud of what he was doing, and he knew why he was doing it," Larry Hoyer said of his son.

Hoyer, 23, of Ellsworth, Wis., was killed March 10 when an explosive hit his convoy in Baqouba, Iraq.

Hoyer had exchanged letters and e-mails with sixth-grade students in Ellsworth, and was preparing to return home when he was killed. "He was in the process of getting stuff ready to come back," his father said.

The soldier, who was attending Vermillion Community College in Ely, Minn., was a semester away from graduating with a degree in wildlife management and forestry when he left for Iraq.

For Cory A. Hubbell, the military was important in a number of ways.

"Cory was a very friendly, likable young man who looked at the Army as personal development and training, and also as service to his country," said Sam Furrer, Hubbell's high school counselor.

Hubbell, 20, of Urbana, Ill., died June 25 after being hospitalized in Kuwait with breathing difficulties.

Hubbell was a carpentry and masonry specialist based at Fort Rucker, and deployed for Kuwait on Feb. 10. He enlisted in 2001 after graduating from high school.

"He looked at it as a way to gain some skills and a trade and go on from there," Furrer said.

Jamie Huggins left for Iraq the same week his first child a daughter named Mallory was born in March.

"Part of him wanted to go over to Iraq to help, but part of him didn't want to leave me and his daughter," said his wife, Marissa Danielle Huggins. "I could not have asked for a better husband."

The 26-year-old soldier was one of two paratroopers killed by a roadside bomb in Baghdad on Oct. 26. A native of Hume, Mo., he was stationed at Fort Bragg.

Huggins joined the Army in May 1997. His wife said he joined to earn money for college and see the world.

"He wanted to better himself," she said.

When he was young, Eric R. Hull liked to follow his mother, aunts and grandmother around in the kitchen. Sometimes he would surprise his family with fresh-baked bread or other treats, his mother said.

"He made the best Alfredo you'll ever taste," Deborah Hull said.

Hull ended up becoming a cook and went to Iraq with the Army Reserves. The 23-year-old from Uniontown, Pa., died Aug. 18 when his vehicle rode over a land mine while hauling supplies.

He is survived by his wife, Missy, and two children, Mia Nicole, 2, and Dominic, 1.

"He always had a grin on his face," his mother said. "He was such a happy-go-lucky person. The only thing he wanted to do was be at home with his children and his wife."

Simeon Hunte had never held his son, Simeon Jr., who was born while he was in Iraq.

"He couldn't wait to get home to that boy," said Hunte's grandmother, Shirley Vigilance.

Hunte, 23, a Newark, N.J. native, was on patrol in Al Khadra on Oct. 1 when an Iraqi approached and shot him, the military said. He was stationed at Fort Riley.

Hunte had attended Montclair State University and family members said he enlisted to get the financial assistance to graduate.

"Since he was this high," Vigilance said, holding her hand at her waist, "he always wanted to be a doctor. He said it didn't matter how many years it took him."

Hunte is survived by his wife, Tara, and an 18-month-old daughter, Anaya.

Joshua C. Hurley joined the Army in 2001 after graduating from Virginia Military Institute. His sister said VMI was the only school he ever wanted to attend.

"He really believed in what he was doing," Amanda Hurley said. Still, she said, "The last letter I got from him, he was ready to come home and go hunting and fishing."

Hurley, 24, of Clifton Forge, Va., was killed Nov. 1 when his vehicle was hit by an explosive. He was based at Fort Campbell with the 101st Airborne Division. His wife, Teresa, is also a soldier with the 101st in Iraq.

"We were pretty close. We're a real close family," Amanda Hurley said. "We're just pulling together and trying to get through it."

Nolen R. Hutchings grew up wanting to be a Marine, and signed up soon after graduating from high school in 2000. Last year, he returned to his school to recruit for the military.

"He was very proud to be a Marine. You could tell that," said Gerald Moore, principal of Boiling Springs (S.C.) High School.

Hutchings, 19, was killed March 23 with others from his Camp Lejeune unit.

"He was proud to be a Marine. We were proud of him," his father, Larry Hutchings, said. "He would make an effort to help somebody out no matter what kind of problem it was for him."

Larry Hutchings said he was told that his son was killed in friendly fire. Hutchings said the cause didn't matter.

"My son was there, he died for his country," he said. "The Iraqis are free. We see their happy faces and realize he wasn't there in vain."

For a soldier, Ray Joseph Hutchinson was known as a remarkably gentle and sensitive young man.

"He wouldn't even kill an insect, which is so strange given the military career he went into," said his older brother, Lee.

But when Hutchinson set his mind to something, he dedicated himself entirely, said his father, Michael. "He was selfless and was more than willing to give his all for others, and he did that all throughout his life," Michael Hutchinson said.

Hutchinson, 20, of League City, Texas, was killed in Iraq Dec. 7 when he drove a Humvee over an explosive device that was detonated by remote control. He was stationed at Fort Campbell.

Hutchinson graduated from high school in 2000 and attended what is now Texas State University in San Marcos. After a year or so, he decided to join the Army.

His family had gained approval for him to return home in December for his grandmother's heart surgery, which took place the day after he was killed.

Gregory P. Huxley Jr. was many things to many people, but his friends would agree he was someone who never wanted to see anyone sad.

"He just loved to make people smile," said Jennifer Sancomb, a former classmate at the high school where Huxley graduated in June.

"He was a very friendly kid, always happy," said Principal Frederick Morgan.

Huxley, 19, of Forestport, N.Y., and based at Fort Benning, died in combat April 6. He was the son of Mary and Gregory Huxley Sr.

Huxley had played football through his junior year, then opted out senior year because he felt he should get a job.

"He was well-suited for the military," football coach Mike Millich said. "He didn't mind discipline. He followed orders. And he was proud. He was a proud young man."

It wasn't until he became a medic that Craig S. Ivory found his niche.

"Initially when he went into the Army, they made him a mechanic, which he hated," said his father, Patrick J. Ivory. "He re-enlisted to become a medic."

The 26-year-old from Port Matilda, Pa., died Aug. 17 after suffering a stroke while serving in Iraq. He was based in Vicenza, Italy.

Although he was not in a combat unit, Ivory often was among the first medical responders when soldiers were injured in combat. He hoped to become a physician assistant after completing his service, his father said.

As a high school student, Ivory lettered in football and track and field and played clarinet and bass clarinet in the school's concert and symphonic bands. He joined the Army in January 1997 and re-enlisted twice.

Marlon P. Jackson was a quiet young man of simple pleasures: basketball, Chinese food and Caribbean music. From Iraq, he asked family to send music magazines and sports clippings. And he never forgot to say thank you.

"He always thanked me for everything I did. He was so appreciative," said Vanessa Selby, his self-described stepmother.

Jackson, 25, of Jersey City, N.J., was killed Nov. 11 in a roadside bombing near Baghdad. He was stationed in Vilseck, Germany. He is survived by his mother, Lois La Grenade, and father, Leighton Jackson.

Before joining the Army in 1999, Jamaica-born Jackson attended community college. He had become a big brother to Selby's son Khabir, 22, and tutored him in his free time.

"He was just becoming a young man, trying to be responsible," Selby said.

Scott Jamar wanted to make the Army his life's work.

"He wanted to be a career man and he loved flying those choppers," said his mother, Aggie Oldfield. "He knew he needed to be there. I told him I didn't want him to go, but he said that's why he joined the service."

Jamar, 32, of Granbury, Texas, died April 2 when his helicopter crashed. He had been in the military 13 years and was based at Hunter Army Airfield.

He grew up in Sweetwater, Texas, and graduated from high school there. He had two children, 5-year-old Brennan and 7-year-old Kyle, who live with their mother in Alabama.

Jamar returned from assignment in Korea in December and left for Kuwait in January. Oldfield received his last letter on March 24.

"I was very proud of my son," Oldfield said. "He was doing what he was doing so his children and everyone here could have the life they have gotten so used to."

To his family, one thing was certain: The Marines were lucky when Evan James decided to enlist.

"They wanted a few good men," said his aunt, Diane Kornegay, "and in Evan they got the best."

James, 20 of La Harpe, Ill., drowned March 24 trying to cross the Saddam Canal.

He played football and basketball in high school before graduating in 2000. He joined the Reserves in Peoria to help pay for his studies at Southern Illinois University, and wanted to be a physical fitness trainer.

"He considered the Marines the best of the best," said his mother, Donna James.

After he was deployed in February, he wrote letters home describing his duties, among them building a gas pipeline.

"Evan was a leader in everything," his aunt said. "If it needed to be done, he did it."

When Luke S. James joined the Army, it wasn't exactly a surprise.

"We all just knew that's what he wanted to do," said his mother, Arleen James of Hooker, Okla.

"He wore the Army fatigues. He'd just say 'I'm playing Army today.' We are talking when he was 3 or 4 years of age."

James, 24, was killed Jan. 27 when a roadside bomb exploded near Iskandariyah, Iraq. He grew up in Hooker, a town of about 1,500 people in the Oklahoma Panhandle, and was stationed at Fort Bragg. His father, Bradley James, is a retired Army Reserves major.

James played football in high school and graduated near the top of his class, then earned a degree in animal science at Oklahoma State University, where he was in the ROTC. He left for Iraq on Jan. 15, less than two weeks before he died.

"We had a couple of e-mails from him," Arleen James said. "Things weren't too busy and it was cold and he said that he loved us and missed us.

Survivors include his wife, Molly James, and 6-month-old son, Bradley.

William A. Jeffries had the kind of personality that just attracted people all sorts of people.

"Bill was liked by everybody. Old people. Young people," said his mother, Marie Jeffries. "He was an outgoing individual. He never met a stranger. Everyone liked him, right on sight. He was big, and he was kind."

A specialist in the Indiana National Guard, the 39-year-old Jeffries died March 31 at a hospital in Spain after becoming sick in Kuwait. A military official told Jeffries' family that he suffered a blood clot in his lung and acute pancreatitis.

He had joined the National Guard after serving 10 years in the Air Force, and lived in Evansville, Ind., with his wife, B.J.

Troy Jenkins joined the Marines at 17, then the Army four years later. He trained to be a paratrooper, studied Arabic and served in Afghanistan, where he was grazed by a bullet last year.

"He wasn't scared of anything," said his sister, Janelle Jenkins, 27, of Repton, Ala.

Jenkins, 25, based at Fort Campbell, died April 23 after a cluster bomb explosion in Iraq.

Jenkins leaves his wife, Amanda, and their two sons, Tristan, 4, and Brandon, 2.

His mother, Connie Gibson, said her family wants people to remember her son by praying for the remaining service members in Iraq: "They are not out of danger yet," she said.

Darius T. Jennings joined the Army after graduating from high school in 2000. Eventually he wanted to go to college, become a photographer and mentor young people.

"He loved kids," said his mother, Harriet Johnson. "He had two first cousins that he thought very highly of and he was always worried about them not forgetting him after he was over in Iraq. He was always worried about, 'Do they remember him?'"

The family said their son was a very well-mannered. "He had friends but then yet, he stayed to himself," his mother said.

Jennings, 22, stationed at Fort Carson, was one of 16 soldiers killed in the Nov. 2 downing of an Army helicopter carrying troops home on leave. He was from rural Orangeburg County, S.C., and was the third graduate of Orangeburg-Wilkinson High School to die in Iraq.

About two weeks before dying, he told his mother he was ready to come home. Before, he had often started his sentences with, "Mama, when I get home...," but in the more recent call, he was plain. "He said, 'I'm tired, I'm not used to this,'" his mother said.

Other survivors include his father, John Johnson.

Linda C. Jimenez had been scheduled to come home in September. The date was pushed back to October, then November, said her father.

It was after the last postponement that she fell into a hole while running to keep up with friends in Baghdad, said her father, Angelo Cruz. She feared for her safety if she lost contact with the group, he said.

"I'm never going to get over this," Cruz said. "I feel that fear killed my daughter."

The 39-year-old from New York City died of complications Nov. 8 after a blood clot went to her brain and caused a stroke. She was assigned to Fort Polk.

As a teenager, Jimenez played acoustic and electric guitar. After graduating from high school, she went to secretarial school, working various secretarial jobs until she enlisted in her mid-20s.

The Rev. Howard Johnson and his wife, Gloria, had waited 17 years for a son Howard Johnson II to join their two daughters.

"He was God's gift to us and the Lord has taken him away," Johnson said.

"We had no idea war would break out and we would lose our son," said Mrs. Johnson.

Johnson, 21, of Mobile, Ala., was killed March 23 when the 507th Maintenance Company was attacked.

More than 1,000 packed a memorial service as Johnson was remembered for his remarkable smile, his sincerity, his military dreams and his courage.

On two sheets torn from a pocket-size notebook, Johnson wrote a letter to a favorite teacher just days before he died. He wrote that he had finally taken a bath "and it felt like Christmas," and said he was going to take pictures of the camels and sheep in Iraq.

He concluded: "I will see you soon."

Maurice J. Johnson told his family he wasn't in danger.

"I got worried when he told me he was going to Iraq," said his sister, Keisha Johnson. "And he told me, 'Keisha, don't worry about it, I'm not on infantry. I sit behind a desk all day nothing's going to happen to me.'"

The 21-year-old communications specialist from Levittown, Pa., was killed Nov. 1 when his vehicle was bombed in Mosul, Iraq. He was stationed at Fort Campbell.

At the time of his death, he was serving as a liaison to the governor of the Nineveh Province in northern Iraq.

In high school, Johnson studied auto repair, excelled at the high jump on the track team, and was fond of baking desserts, his sister said.

His late mother had encouraged him to enlist.

"My mom's thing was do something with yourself," Keisha Johnson said. "If you're not going to go to college, go to the Army, just don't be hanging out on the street."

Among the photos that covered his mother's coffee table were snapshots of Michael Vann Johnson Jr. the way his family remembers him: grinning in Mickey Mouse ears and waving at the camera.

"He was just a big kid," said his sister, Janisa Hooks. "Mikey was a fun person. He liked to draw and he loved basketball, a real people's person."

The 25-year-old Navy medic was tending to injured colleagues March 25 when he was hit by shrapnel and killed.

Johnson was raised in Little Rock, Ark., and graduated from the University of Central Arkansas. He and his wife, Cherice, lived in San Diego, where he was assigned to the 1st Marine Division.

Shortly before his death, his mother received a letter from him.

"Mom," he wrote, "I love you, and don't be afraid if I don't return, realize I'm in heaven with God."

Nathaniel H. Johnson was a stellar high school student, a key person on the ROTC drill team and a well-liked student. Before leaving for Iraq, he visited his old high school.

"He was still very close to many people here, so this is devastating," said Staff Sgt. Jay Jenkins, in charge of the school's ROTC program. "It didn't matter what he was doing Nate had a smile on his face."

Johnson, 22 of Augusta, Ga., was killed Jan. 8 when the Black Hawk helicopter he was on was shot down south of Fallujah, Iraq. Johnson, a paratrooper, was based at Fort Bragg. The helicopter was on a routine medical flight and eight others on board were killed.

Felix Johnson said his son had no real feelings about going to war.

"He said he wasn't scared. And when he got there he said it wasn't that bad," he said.

As a child, Paul J. Johnson would disappear for hours to play Army around his Calumet, Mich., neighborhood. As a man, he became a respected and decorated soldier.

"He said, 'I've got some responsibilities. I need to be back with my men,'" the Rev. David Holloway of Fayettville, N.C., recalled Johnson saying a year ago after service in Afghanistan. "He wanted to get the job done because it was his calling."

Johnson, 29, was killed Oct. 20 in a roadside ambush 40 miles west of Baghdad. He was stationed at Fort Bragg.

Known as P.J., Johnson joined the Army in 1993, two years after high school graduation. He earned more than 30 awards and decorations.

He is survived by his wife, Mary "Missy" Johnson, and 4-year-old son Bryan.

Philip A. Johnson was a committed military man who jumped to the Army after the Marines Corps.

The helicopter pilot attended the University of South Alabama in Mobile for three years before joining the Marines. After four years in the Marines, Johnson served in the Army for six years.

"He was very committed. He was doing what he wanted to do, and he felt he was doing the right thing," said his father, Philip A. Johnson Sr.

Johnson, 31, was born in Davenport, Iowa, and grew up in Chicago, before his family moved to Mobile in 1985. He was attached to the 4th Infantry Division based in Colorado Springs.

He was among nine soldiers killed Jan. 8 in a Black Hawk crash in Iraq.

Johnson's wife, Melissa Johnson, 28, is in the Air Force and lives in Colorado Springs.

The military changed Rayshawn Johnson, on the inside and on the outside.

"He used to dress like he was born on the street, but when he came back, he was in his uniform," said his brother, Michael Johnson, 16.

"He called once at the airport and he said the respect he got from people made him feel so good," his foster mother, Deborah Wynter, recalled. "He said they were coming up to him and saying 'God bless you,' 'Good luck,' ... 'We're proud of you.'"

Johnson, 20, was killed when his vehicle hit a land mine in Tikrit, Iraq, on Nov. 3. He was based at Fort Hood.

Johnson attended high school in Brooklyn, N.Y., joined the Army in February and went to Iraq in June.

"I never thought it would be like this," said Patty Johnson, his biological mother. "It makes me so proud that people love him. I always wanted him to be a good person at heart, and actually it came true for me."

As a teenager, Devon D. Jones bounced from foster home to foster home after his mother went to prison. Three years ago, he found Evelyn Houston and the family he would call his own.

"He was praying for a family and God answered his prayers," Houston said.

Jones, 19, of San Diego and based at Fort Stewart, died April 4 when his vehicle fell into a ravine.

When he graduated from high school last year, Jones wanted to be a teacher. He didn't have the money for college, so he enlisted in the military. During a visit home in December, he went back to his high school to show off his uniform before being deployed.

In a letter to foster sister Keisha Erving, Jones wrote about his life in the desert.

"Sometimes I just look into the sky at the star and wonder what ya all are doing and smile," he wrote. "Hold on. Be patient, and know there is a reason for everything."

Gussie M. Jones had a way of making those she loved feel special.

"My daughter says 'I'm Aunt Gussie's favorite niece.' But everybody thought they were Aunt Gussie's favorite niece because that's the way she made them feel," Wanda McDaniel said of her sister.

The 41-year-old surgical nurse from Shreveport, La., died March 7 of an apparent heart attack in Baghdad. She was assigned to Fort Bliss.

Jones was maternal and caring to the nurses she worked with at William Beaumont Army Medical Center's intensive care unit, said Col. Lenore Enzel, deputy commander of patient services and nursing at the El Paso hospital. "She really was the glue that held our hospital together," Enzel said. "She always had this maturity and was taking care of other people."

Jones had served in the Army since 1988.

From an early age, Kylan Jones-Huffman showed what would be a lifelong talent for languages, learning his mother's native German along with English.

"When he started talking, he was speaking both, and he knew who to speak English to and who he should speak German to," his father, James Huffman said.

That natural ability with languages he eventually learned French, Farsi and Arabic as well combined with a voracious intellectual curiosity about the Middle East landed Jones-Huffman, 31, a spot with Naval Intelligence in Bahrain before the war in Iraq.

He was on a trip Aug. 21 to Al Hillah, Iraq, when his SUV came under fire and he was killed.

Jones-Huffman was born in Santa Cruz, Calif., while his Army officer father was serving in Vietnam. He attended the Naval Academy, where he later taught history courses for two years. Before his reserve unit was called up, he had planned to go back to get a doctorate in Turkish studies.

Jones-Huffman and his wife, Heidi, lived in College Park, Md.

The day after Christmas, Curt E. Jordan Jr. had the chance to visit with his family by satellite phone from Iraq.

"He got to see us," said his mother, Linda Taylor of Silverdale, Wash. "I can close my eyes and I can see him."

Two days later, Jordan died near Bayji, Iraq. He was involved in a minesweeping operation and fumes from a chemical he encountered apparently triggered a lethal reaction, perhaps from allergies, according to his stepmother, Tina Jordan.

"He loved working on old cars, always Dodges," his stepmother said. "He was a really, really nice kid."

"He was a good kid, a great father, a great son," said his father, Curt Jordan Sr., of Spokane Valley, Wash.

Jordan is survived by his wife, Kim Lloyd Jordan, and their children, Felicia Kae Jordan, 6, and Derrek Ray Jordan, 2, all at Fort Lewis.

A brother, Army Spc. Adam Jordan, was stationed 10 miles away when Jordan was killed, the family said.

Jason D. Jordan made sure there was no doubt: He was proud of his Southern roots.

"Everywhere Jason went when people asked him where he was from he never just said he was from the south; he said 'I am from Dixie,' because he was so proud of his hometown, and so proud of being raised here," the Rev. Mack King said while delivering Jordan's eulogy.

Jordan, 24, of Elba, Ala., died July 20 when his infantry patrol came under a rocket-propelled grenade attack in Iraq. He was stationed at Fort Campbell.

"I watched Jason grow up, and I watched him help his grandparents with their cattle farm next door," said Frank Chirico, a close family friend. "And he was just a good, hardworking, Christian boy who was raised right."

Jordan joined the military after high school, where he was an honor student and member of the Beta Club and the Math Club.

"Jason strongly believed in what he was doing, by serving in the armed forces to keep America safe and strong," his family said in a statement.

Six-year-old Tyler Jordan and his dad were the best of friends. Phillip A. Jordan sent letters from overseas, including a photo of the ship he went over on and map of the world, so Tyler could track the trip.

Jordan, 42, based at Camp Lejeune, was killed March 23 when Marines were attacked by Iraqi troops who appeared to be surrendering.

The Jordans moved to Enfield, Conn., before he was deployed so his wife, Amanda, could be near her family. At Jordan's wake, a crowd of friends, strangers, politicians and soldiers paid their respects.

"Every single person that comes here is coming here because they're grateful for what he did," Amanda Jordan said.

Originally from the Houston area, Jordan joined the Marines 15 years ago and worked his way through the ranks to become a gunnery sergeant.

He served in Afghanistan, Kosovo and the 1991 Gulf War.

Just months after enlisting in the Army, Spencer Karol went back to high school in Arizona to visit, 40 or 50 pounds of new muscle on his frame.

"He had bought this cute little red sports car, and all the girls were like, 'Oh wow!'" said Teri White, a career counselor at the school. "He had been picked on by bullies when he was in high school, but they wouldn't have wanted any part of him then."

Karol, 20, of Woodruff, Ariz., was killed Oct. 6 in Ar Ramadi, Iraq, when the force of an explosion overturned his vehicle. He was stationed in Darmstadt, Germany.

In the weeks before his death, Karol had been calling home more often.

"He just kept calling and saying, 'I love you, I love you,'" said his mother, Bridget Madison. "I think he knew that he was going to be put into dangerous territory. His last words to me were, 'I'll be back in November.'"

Like most soldiers in the Middle East, Jeffrey Kaylor was separated from his young wife but not by as many miles as most.

Jenna Cosby, also a second lieutenant, was also on a tour in the Persian Gulf when Kaylor was killed in a grenade attack April 7.

They were both in Virginia Tech's Corps of Cadets, a military school within the university. Kaylor graduated in 2001.

"Kids come to college to grow up and make mistakes," said Col. Rock Roszak, one of his advisers. "He didn't make mistakes. He was just even-keeled. He was focused."

Kaylor, 24, of Clifton, Va., was based at Fort Stewart and left for the Middle East last August, right after his wedding.

"The sad thing is that ... he would have been so elated to come home and tell everybody here all the proud things he did," said his mother, Roxanne Kaylor. "Now I won't be able to hear that, I won't be able to see that."

When Chad L. Keith was talking with Army recruiters, friends could hardly tear him away.

"Most people join the Army because they want money for college or something, but he was really happy to be in the Army. He wanted it to be his career," said close friend Kirt Collier. "I understand why he went over there. It was something he was passionate about."

Keith, 21, of Batesville, Ind., was killed July 7 when a roadside bomb exploded in Baghdad. He was stationed at Fort Bragg.

Keith's death came just 26 days before he was to be promoted from specialist to sergeant and a few days after he spoke to his mother by telephone. Kim Hitzges said her son told her he was hot and tired but willing to stay in Iraq "until the job was done."

Kyran E. Kennedy grew up in Boston but fell in love with living in the Kentucky countryside.

He and his wife bought a farm, kept a variety of animals, managed an ambitious beekeeping operation, and tended a garden and an orchard. "He absolutely loved this place. We were going to retire in Kentucky," Kathy Kennedy said.

Kennedy, 43, was killed Nov. 7 when the Black Hawk helicopter he was riding crashed near Tikrit, Iraq. He was assigned to Fort Campbell and lived in Hopkinsville, Ky.

Kathy Kennedy said her husband made a dulcimer that he carried to Iraq and was teaching himself to play. "He was a wonderful woodworker," she said.

The instrument was important to him and provided a sense of peace in the midst of the war, she said.

Survivors include his children: Christopher, 11; Katie, 9; and Kevin, 3.

Brian Matthew Kennedy was a Marine through and through, thrilled to be helping liberate Iraq.

"Our son and brother proudly volunteered to serve in the U.S. Marine Corps," said his father, Mark D. Kennedy. "He gave his life in an effort to contribute to the freedom of the Iraqi people."

Kennedy, 25, of Houston, died March 21 in a helicopter crash in Kuwait, near the Iraqi border.

He graduated from high school in 1995 in Glenview, Ill., then attended Purdue University before transferring to Texas Tech University in 1998.

He enlisted in 1999 and was stationed at Camp Pendleton.

His father went to San Diego to see him before he shipped out about six weeks ago, and had been in touch with him overseas.

"We just miss him terribly already," his father said. "He was a wonderful man."

Morgan D. Kennon was tall and studious and doted on his mother.

"He was a serious-minded youngster who was devoted to fulfilling his mother's wishes," recalled his father, Morgan Kennon. "If his mother needed anything, instead of being out in a park playing basketball, it was his joy to go out and do whatever he had to do to help her."

Kennon, 23, was killed Nov. 7 when his convoy was attacked while guarding a bank in Mosul, Iraq. He was based at Fort Campbell.

Kennon grew up in Memphis and joined the Army straight out of high school, intending to earn money for college. He hoped one day to become a lawyer.

Though his family knew Kennon was doing a dangerous job, his death still came as a shock, his father said.

"In your mind's eye, it is not going to happen to you," he said. "You have a level of comfort, and that is how I felt about him, that no matter where he goes, he will be safe."

Erik C. Kesterson had already completed an eight-year tour of duty with the Marines when the Sept. 11 attacks compelled him to sign on with the Army.

"He was very patriotic and believed in this country. He's a good man," said his father, Clayton Kesterson.

Kesterson, 29, was killed Nov. 15 when the Black Hawk helicopter he was piloting collided with another helicopter in Iraq. He grew up mostly in Vernonia, Ore., and was stationed at Fort Campbell.

M.J. Kesterson said her son inspired confidence. "This was a bright, ready-to-go young guy," she said. "I didn't have a thought this would go badly."

When he was a Marine, Kesterson pulled seven men from a burning helicopter that had crashed. He was awarded the Marine Corps Medal of Heroism.

One of his hobbies was building full-size replicas of World War I fighter planes. Five of the planes he built with his father have been cleared to fly by the Federal Aviation Administration.

Before he went overseas with the 507th Maintenance Company, James Kiehl gave his pregnant wife, Jill, a teddy bear with a taped message she could listen to when she was lonely.

"I'll see you when I get back," it said.

Kiehl, 22, died March 23 when his unit came under attack.

"He's going to be remembered as someone who always wanted to help and always pitched in and always struggled to do his best for everyone," said his stepmother, Janie Kiehl.

Kiehl spent his childhood in a military family in Southern California. His mother served in the Navy and his father in the Army. He was a teenager when his parents divorced and he moved with his father to Comfort, Texas, where at 6-foot-8 he excelled in basketball and played the trumpet.

He joined the Army in hopes of building his computer skills.

"It's my pride in my son that keeps me going," Randy Kiehl said of his only child.

Kevin C. Kimmerly was always there when you needed him.

"He was a real down-to-earth guy," said friend Steve Studnicky. "There was never anything he wouldn't do for you."

Kimmerly, 31, of North Creek, N.Y., was killed Sept. 15 in a grenade attack in Baghdad. He was stationed in Baumholder, Germany.

Kimmerly and his twin brother played basketball in high school, where they were known as the "twin towers."

"It's a small town, and the news has started spreading and the sadness with that," Studnicky said. "It really, for us, puts a face on Iraq."

Barbara Kinchen said her son, Levi, once tearfully acknowledged that he was afraid of combat. Nevertheless, he wanted to go to Iraq.

"He was ready to go. That's what he wanted to do. He knew the consequences," Barbara Kinchen said.

She said he insisted on being baptized before he left for the war.

Kinchen, 21, was found dead Aug. 9 on his cot in Baghdad. He joined the military after high school in Albany, La., and was stationed at Fort Polk.

Kinchen loved the outdoors, his relatives said, and started hunting as a child, killing his first deer when he was 9.

"He had this magnetic personality," Louise O'Sullivan said of her nephew. "You just had to love Levi."

After the death of his stepfather, Lester O. Kinney became an especially important role model for his half-brother, who was just 12 at the time.

"He was just graduating high school and my father died his senior year," Kurtis Wayne Bennett said. "He just really took after me and kind of became my role model and I wanted to be just like him."

Bennett followed Kinney into the Army and the two talked weekly as Bennett hustled through basic training.

"He always told me, 'Don't worry. They're not yelling at you directly. It's just mind games.' He always told me I could do it."

Kinney, 27, of Zanesville, Ohio, was killed Jan. 27 near Iskandariyah, Iraq, when a roadside bomb exploded. He was stationed at Fort Bragg.

"He was very proud to be there and helping people. That's one thing he loved doing is helping. That was him," said Bennett, who is stationed at Fort Lewis.

To his two young sons, David M. Kirchhoff was a father with a streak of playfulness that led to water balloon fights and wrestling matches.

"He was always goofy," said his 12-year-old son, Sean Lekin.

Kirchhoff, 31, suffered heat stroke while driving a truck in northern Iraq and died five days later on Aug. 14 at a hospital in Germany. A truck driver, Kirchhoff, of Anamosa, Iowa, was a member of the Iowa Army National Guard.

"Sometimes he'd chase us all around the house and we'd always end up in the living room ... and do like a tag-team wrestling match," 11-year-old son David Kirchoff Jr., wrote in letters read during a service for his father.

Kirchhoff is also survived by his wife, Brooke.

Just 19, Nicholas Brian Kleiboeker had wanted to join the military for years.

"He couldn't wait to serve his country," said friend Michael Dunbar. "All he ever wanted to do was join the service. Ever since he was 15 it's all he ever talked about."

High school classmate Josh Case went to boot camp with Kleiboeker in 2001.

"We talked about going into the Marines since the junior year of high school," Case said. "I went reserves and he wanted to go actives that's the kind of guy he was."

Kleiboeker, of Odin, Ill., and based at Camp Lejeune, died May 13 when the bunker he was working in caught fire and exploded.

"He would go out of his way for anybody. He's the type of guy that would give you the shirt right off his back," said classmate Billy Spitler.

"He never had anything bad to say about anyone. He was always asking people if there was anything he could do to help them," friend Brooks Simpson said.

John K. Klinesmith was last seen June 12 wading in a lake in Fallujah, Iraq. Searchers found his clothes and gear on the lake shore and recovered his body the next day.

Klinesmith, 25, of Stockbridge, Ga., was stationed at Fort Drum. Survivors include his mother, Domenica Columbus of Carriere, Miss.

He joined the Army in 1999.

Floyd G. Knighten Jr. and his son served in Iraq in the same transportation company. Knighten repaired the trucks, and his son, Spc. Floyd G. Knighten III, drove them.

When their National Guard company headed to Iraq from Fort Polk, most of them flew but the senior Knighten traveled by ship with the equipment.

"He was really looking forward to that because he was in the Navy originally," said his niece, Carma Polk Hardy.

The 55-year-old Knighten, of Olla, La., died Aug. 9, most likely of heat-related causes, while traveling in a convoy in Iraq.

He had been in the military since high school, first with the Navy and later joining the National Guard, eventually full-time.

Joshua Knowles once died his hair blue and red for an Independence Day parade. He once ate 64 ounces of ketchup in two days. He was known to butcher the song "Friends in Low Places" while singing karaoke.

"He was an exuberant young man who lived life to the fullest and pushed the limits with best intentions," said the Rev. Dennis Cahill, who eulogized Knowles on Valentine's Day.

Knowles, 23, of Sheffield, Iowa, was killed Feb. 5 when a mortar round struck the military truck he was driving near Baghdad International Airport

Knowles played football and track in high school, and also liked golfing, snowboarding, and playing paintball. He was studying criminal justice at a community college and worked as a woodworker before he was called up. He signed letters home from Iraq "Peace from the Middle East."

Survivors include his parents, Sandy and Les Knowles.

Edward J. Korn campaigned to defer his officer training at Fort Knox and instead get a position with Central Command. He wanted to get to the front lines of the war in Iraq.

"He'd come to me and say, 'Sir, you've got to know someone, can you call someone?' because he wanted to join the war effort," said Maj. John R. Zsido, Korn's supervisor at Fort Knox.

"He knew if he could get to Central Command, that he could work his way into a unit and work his way to the front, which is exactly what he did," Zsido said.

Korn, 31, of Savannah, Ga., was killed April 3 as he investigated the wreckage of an Iraqi tank destroyed by his unit.

Korn earned a bronze star while serving in the Persian Gulf War.

"He came in and took the bull by the horns and accepted every mission he was given," said Sgt. Douglas E. Kennedy, who worked with Korn. "He would have been a great battlefield commander."

Before Bradley Korthaus's funeral in Davenport, Iowa, his family posted photos near the church entrance.

One showed a smiling youngster wearing a navy blue sailor's outfit with a white cap at a tilt. Another pictured him outpacing friends in a watermelon-eating contest.

Korthaus, 28, known as "Cruiser" to his friends, drowned March 24 while crossing the Saddam Canal in Iraq.

Korthaus wanted to be a Marine since he was 10, said his father, Steve Korthaus, a Marine who served in Vietnam. When he called home, Korthaus said he was eager to help rid Iraq of Saddam Hussein.

"He was ready. He was over-ready in fact," Steve Korthaus said. "He would have been mad if he didn't get to go."

Korthaus joined the Marines after high school in 1992 and served for four years, his father said. Once he returned home, he missed the military and joined the Reserves.

Jakub H. Kowalik came to the United States from Poland in 1992 when he was 10 years old and was a permanent U.S. resident, though not yet a citizen. He enlisted in the Marines during his senior year in high school, just a few months before the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks.

"After Sept. 11, he said, 'If my country needs me, I'll be there," said his mother, Danuta G. Kowalik of Schaumburg. "He told me, 'Mom, I'm not going to change my mind.' "

Kowalik, 21, based at Camp Pendleton, died May 12 when the ordnance he and another Marine were handling exploded.

The day before, on Mother's Day, he had called home and talked with his mother for a half-hour.

"His last words were, 'I'll see you,' " she said.

Kowalik played football in high school and loved to fish. He never complained about the hard life of the military, his mother said "He just enjoyed being a Marine."

"He's my hero, my best friend," said Paul Kowalik, Jakub's older brother.

John F. "Hans" Kurth was a standout athlete in high school, and as a senior played on his Wisconsin high school's 1990 state championship football team.

"Since he was a young man, he always lived his life surrounded with discipline," said Travis DeBussey, a high school friend. "He just loved the Army. ... He wouldn't regret one second of it."

Kurth, 31, of Columbus, Wis., died March 13 when his patrol encountered an explosive in Tikrit, Iraq. He was based in Schweinfurt, Germany.

Kurth graduated from West Point in 1995 and served in Kosovo twice. His parents had last seen their son at Christmas. "Hans was looking forward to going over there and hopefully making (the situation in Iraq) better," John Kurth said. He said his son was "definitely well liked. He got along with everyone."

"He was a real dedicated student," Retta Kurth said, committing himself to whatever he set as his goals.
Survivors include a son, John Aleksander Kurth.

Michael V. Lalush was quieter, more sensitive than what you might think a military man would be. He adored his sister, Danielle, and depended on his mom and dad.

"He was just like a little puppy," said family friend Linda McMillan.

Lalush, 23, of Troutville, Va., was killed March 30 in a helicopter crash. He was stationed at Camp Pendleton.

Lalush moved to Virginia with his family in 1994 from Sunnyville, Calif. He joined the Marines after graduating from high school.

From the time he was a young boy, McMillan said, Lalush was tinkering with things, even rebuilding a pink 1965 Volkswagen Beetle. In his last message home, Lalush told his mother that he was finally using his fix-it skills to help people.

"He said, 'Momma, this is what it's all about,'" McMillan said.

Alan D. Lam was a talented artist who worked on the high school newspaper staff, the school's principal remembers.

"If you wanted to choose the kind of kid you'd like to have on your high school campus, Alan would be an example of that," said Kent Byrd, principal of Southern Alamance High School in Graham, N.C.

Lam, 19, of Snow Camp, N.C., and based at Camp Lejeune, died April 22 in a grenade launcher accident. He was the youngest of five children and the only son of Adam and Brenda Lam.

Neighbor Darlene Rios said Lam often helped her cut her lawn or plant flowers. When he was deployed to Iraq, he often sent greetings to her when he called home to his parents.

"You don't see that in young kids," Rios said. "It was like he was raised with a lot of respect."

Both soldiers in the Army, James and Jacqueline Lambert had married hastily at the Cumberland County, N.C., courthouse in November. They planned to renew their vows and throw a party when they returned from the Middle East.

She returned in May to their home in Fayetteville, N.C., outside Fort Bragg. Finally, she got the news that her husband would be heading home soon from Iraq.

But on July 31, less than two weeks before he was due to join her, her 22-year-old husband was killed in Baghdad when he was struck by a stray bullet.

Lambert had planned to enroll in college when he left the military, his brother, Karl Lambert, said in their hometown of Kenbridge, Va.

"He loved attention. He could walk into a room, meet a stranger and make him his best friend," Karl Lambert said. "He was always looking for something interesting to do."

Andrew David La Mont was born at Andrews Air Force Base, where his father, James, a retired Air Force lieutenant colonel, was stationed. He was the youngest of nine children, and the only one to follow their father's path into the military. For him, flying was a passion.

"(Andrew) died doing what he loved," La Mont's brother Thomas said. "There were many facets to Andrew, but flying was his one big love."

La Mont, 31, of Eureka, Calif., was one of four Camp Pendleton Marines who died May 19 in a helicopter crash in Iraq.

La Mont served in Kosovo and was part of the helicopter detail that flew the first Marines into Afghanistan following the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.

On April 3, as U.S. forces prepared to enter Baghdad for the final stages of the war, KGO-AM in San Francisco broadcast a live interview with La Mont before he flew to Baghdad to help evacuate injured troops.

"Hello to everyone in Eureka, California," La Mont said. "I look forward to coming back."

Jonathan W. Lambert always wanted to be a Marine and in a letter e-mailed to his hometown newspaper in Mississippi, he talked about his pride in the U.S. military.

"I'm not writing to you to toot the horns for the Marine Corps, but many people look at the big picture and forget what it took to make it," the 28-year-old wrote to The Banner-Independent of Booneville in May. "It takes people dedicated to protect this nation.

"... We know that this is more than a job, we do it for our children, grandchildren, friends and family. To make sure that their future will be protected as ours is today."

Lambert, stationed at Camp Pendleton, died June 1 from injuries suffered in a Humvee accident May 26 in Iraq.

He is survived by his wife, Betty, and 2-year-old daughter, Kinsey Jade.

"It has always been a dream for me to be in the Marines," Lambert wrote. "I love the challenge. I continuously work and sweat for it."

Sean G. Landrus hated being behind a desk, so much that he declined an office job to serve in a combat zone.

"Sean died doing what he wanted to do," said his mother, Betty Landrus. "His wife talked to him the week before he was injured, and she said he sounded the best he had in a long time."

Landrus, 31, of Thompson, Ohio, died Jan. 29 from injuries he suffered when a roadside bomb exploded two days earlier near Khaldiyah, Iraq. He was stationed at Fort Riley.

The youngest of six children, Landrus excelled in football, basketball and track in high school and was known for his competitive spirit.

"He hated to be taken out of a game or anything when he was playing sports. If he got an injury or anything, he'd bug the coach to send him back out there," his mother said.

Landrus attended Kent State University before enlisting in the Army. He married Chris, his high school sweetheart, in 1995. The couple has three children.

"He did like the military life, but he was not planning on re-enlisting because he had a family," Betty Landrus said.

Matthew C. Laskowski felt good about the work he was doing in Iraq, but returning to the country after a two-week furlough was hard it meant he had to leave his wife and two daughters behind.

At the airport, 5-year-old Isabel clung to his side.

"She said, 'My daddy, my daddy.' He just broke down," said Jennifer Laskowski, his wife. "He knew what he would be facing back in Iraq and he didn't want to be away from us."

The 32-year-old from Phoenix died Feb. 25 when the helicopter he was flying crashed in the Euphrates River in Habbaniyah, Iraq. He was stationed at Fort Carson.

Her husband was passionate about flying, Jennifer Laskowski said. "He was cocky, but he knew how to fly well."

Two of his letters arrived the day his wife learned of his death. She still listens to the messages he recorded into stuffed bears for their daughters their other daughter, Aniela, is 1.

"He was and is my soul mate," his wife said.

William T. Latham's father served in the Army, two uncles are Vietnam veterans, and both grandfathers served in World War II. So it was only natural that from the time he was 12, Latham insisted on joining the military.

"The kid ate up being in the military," said his father, Sid. "He really loved it."

Latham, 29, from Kingman, Ariz., and stationed at Fort Carson, died June 18 from injuries suffered during a May 19 raid at a suspected arms market in Iraq. Latham ordered his troops to fire a grenade at the door, and a piece of shrapnel flew under his helmet and lodged in his head, his parents were told by the military.

"I hear that the troops are blaming themselves," his father said. "It's nobody's fault."

"He attained his goal and enjoyed it. He was doing what he wanted to do," said his mother, Brenda Latham.

Latham is survived by his wife, Melissa, and three children, Patricia, 10; Travis, 9; and Jeremy, 6.

Karina Lau sang and played clarinet and saxophone, and won awards for music and math. She dreamed of returning to school after her military service and someday setting up her own music shop.

"I prayed for her every day telling her to be careful," said her mother, Ruth Lau, of Livingston, Calif. "She said she was safe. We never expected that anything would happen to her."

Lau's father, Agustin Lau, sat on the couch and sobbed, unable to speak.

Lau, 20, was one of 16 soldiers killed in the Nov. 2 downing of a helicopter carrying troops home on leave.

Lau attended the University of Pacific on a music scholarship before joining the Army in January 2002. She received training as a radio operator at Fort Hood during boot camp before she was deployed to Iraq at the beginning of the war.

Just a few hours before boarding the helicopter, Lau sent an e-mail to her half-sister, Martha Rivera.

"Don't worry," it read. "I'll be careful."

Army reservist Mark A. Lawton had volunteered for duty in Iraq, even though he was scheduled for an Army school that would have kept him stateside.

"His desire was that he could share his combat experience with younger, less experienced troops and make sure that each of his boys came home in one piece," Lawton's family said in a statement.

Lawton, 41, of Hayden, Colo., was killed Aug. 29 in Iraq when his convoy was hit by a rocket-propelled grenade. He is survived by his wife, Sherri, and sons Dustin, 4, and Tanner, 1.

Lawton had served in both the Army and the Marines, and was a Gulf War veteran, said Capt. Curtis Carney of the U.S. Army Reserve in Denver. He joined the Reserves after leaving active duty.

Sherri Lawton was too shaken to speak at the funeral, so her father, Louis Holloway, read a letter she had written.

"Mark died on Aug. 29, 14 days before our fifth wedding anniversary," Holloway read. "That was the day my world stopped spinning. Mark was my best friend. Mark never went anywhere without kissing me goodbye and telling me he loved me."

Cedric L. Lennon had lived with his grandmother at the end of a rural gravel road just outside West Blocton, Ala. He was deployed from Fort Polk to Iraq in March.

On June 24, the 32-year-old died in Iraq of non-combat-related causes. His death is under investigation.

Even before Lennon's death, American flags lined every telephone pole along West Blocton's Main Street, and many front doors and mailboxes were decorated with yellow ribbons.

A large corner of the West Blocton Cahaba Lily Center, a place where town meetings and events are often held, is a tribute to West Blocton war veterans. The display includes a Roll of Honor listing the names of 17 veterans killed during World War II and two killed in the Vietnam War.

Farao K. Letufuga left the Pacific island of American Samoa to join the Army on the eve of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.

He was assigned to the 101st Airborne Division and was based at Fort Campbell when he was sent to Iraq. His mother last spoke with him on July 24.

"I told him to always remember God and always pray during his tour of duty," said Siniva Letufuga.

The 20-year-old Letufuga died Aug. 5 when he fell from the roof of a building while on guard duty in Mosul, Iraq.

When Roger G. Ling's Humvee was struck by a homemade bomb in October, he survived the attack, and he worked to keep his superior officer alive.

"It almost killed me. From what I've been told, (Roger) helped keep me awake until my medic arrived," said Lt. Matt Homa. "Ling was a good kid. You could count on him to do anything."

The 20-year-old from New York City was killed Feb. 19 by hostile fire in Khaldiyah, Iraq. He was stationed at Fort Riley.

Leona Ling said she was grateful her brother came home in August just before leaving for Iraq. "He had to have his tonsils taken out," she said. "It was a blessing in disguise because we got to see him again."

In phone calls home the soldier spoke wistfully of returning to New York and going to college. "He wanted to hear about what was going on at home and all the latest family gossip," Leona Ling recalled.

Survivors include his father, Wai Ling, a U.S. Army veteran.

At 22, it seemed Josph L. Lister had found his way. He had a wife and an infant son, and those who knew him said he'd become more mature and confident and was proud of his military service.

"Everything was really clicking for him," said the Rev. Jim Landrum, pastor at the church where Lister was baptized in 1999.

Lister, of Pleasanton, Kan., died Nov. 20 in Ar Ramadi, Iraq, when the convoy in which he was traveling was hit by a homemade bomb. He was based at Fort Riley.

Lister could be headstrong as a teenager, Landrum said, but the Army helped give him direction.

"He seemed like a lost kid, and the military is a family, and you are well taken care of in the military," said John Heidrick, who taught Lister in high school.

Lister was deeply religious and had a large tattoo of a cross on his back, Landrum said. "Joe had such a strong faith, he had no question about where he would spend eternity," he said.

Nino Livaudais had been assigned to Afghanistan twice, and Iraq was his third combat tour in two years.

"He had a purpose. He was doing his part as an American. I knew I never was going to get him behind a desk," said his wife, Jackie Livaudais, pregnant with their third child.

"He wanted to make the world better and get the bad guys," she said.

On April 3, Livaudais was at a checkpoint when a woman jumped from the car, screaming, and the vehicle exploded.

Livaudais, 23, graduated from high school in Ogden, Utah, in 1997, joined the Army a year later and became a ranger in 1999. He planned to make the military a career.

Livaudais, a staff sergeant and squad leader, was often the life of the party at the couple's home near Fort Benning.

"He was Mr. Backyard Barbecue," his wife said.

Daniel J. Londono wanted to protect his country, but he also had another reason for joining the Army: He wanted to help his mother and sister financially.

"When he came back home once he told me that he went to the Army for me so that my mom could pay for college for me," said his 18-year-old sister, Diana.

Londono, 22, of Boston died March 13 when an explosive hit his vehicle in Baghdad. He was assigned to Fort Bragg.

Londono joined the Army after graduating from high school, where he had run track. He died less than three weeks before his birthday and two months before he was going to complete his military service, relatives said.

Ryan P. Long was a fourth-generation soldier who knew as a youngster that he wanted to join the Army.

Active in the Junior ROTC at high school in Delaware, Long joined the Army after he graduated in 1999, and was deployed twice to Afghanistan. His mother, Donna Long, said she never told her son she was more worried about his latest assignment.

"A mother's intuition; I don't know," she said.

Long, 21, was killed April 3 when a car exploded at a checkpoint. He was based at Fort Benning.

Donna Long described her son as a competitive soccer player who also loved snowboarding and water sports.

"The most remarkable thing about Ryan was that he lived life to the fullest," she said. "Everything that he did, he gave 110 percent. He was very good, very generous, very kind."

Milking cattle wasn't one of Zachariah Long's regular tasks in the Army, but that didn't stop him from showing two comrades how it's done.

"His platoon leader called us and said that a cow came in, and he taught his two buddies," said Mandy Long, the soldier's older sister. "That was just Zach he was always fun and entertaining."

Long, 20, from Milton, Pa., and stationed at Fort Bragg, died May 30 in a vehicle accident in Iraq that killed two fellow soldiers.

Long was only 12 when he decided he wanted to enlist, and left for basic training right after high school.

He had worked with farm animals as a youth, and that made him a natural teacher the day the cow wandered into camp. "Of course, the boys he taught were city slickers," Mandy Long said.

One of them was Spc. Kyle A. Griffin of Emerson, N.J., who died in the same crash that killed Long. Mandy Long said her family made sure to tell Griffin's family about the milking lesson.

"Mr. Griffin got a kick out of that," she said. "He was like, 'My boy milked a cow?'"

Duane E. Longstreth and his mother enlisted in the Army together, motivated by the Sept. 11 terror attacks. He became a combat engineer at Fort Bragg, and she became a communications specialist in Germany.

"He was an unbelievably outstanding child," his mother, Jennifer West, said. "I think, like me, he joined because he was very aware of what was right and what was wrong."

The 19-year-old Longstreth died Aug. 7 of an apparent accidental gunshot wound while serving in Iraq.

"My sentiments are still the same," his mother said. "We're in Iraq to do a necessary job. We fully know that."

Longstreth, a native of Tacoma, Wash., was sent to Lincoln's Challenge Academy, a military-style program run by the Illinois National Guard for at-risk youth. He enlisted in the Army after graduation, five months before he turned 18.

David L. Loyd was called up for deployment to the Middle East in February but returned home for 10 days this spring because his home in Jackson, Tenn., was damaged by a tornado.

When it came time for his return to Kuwait, he was eager to get back to serving his country, his wife, Pamela, said.

"He wouldn't have had it any other way," she said.

A member of the Tennessee National Guard, the 44-year-old Loyd died Aug. 5 of a heart attack in Kuwait. He is also survived by two sons.

Family members say Loyd enjoyed working as a truck mechanic and spent his spare time riding his Harley Davidson and tinkering with cars.

"But most of all he loved serving his country," said his mother-in-law, Bonnie Flinn, of Terre Haute, Ind., where the Loyds both grew up.

Robert Lucero expressed his pride in what he was doing in Iraq in letters he sent a 10th grader who had become a pen pal through an ROTC program.

He also offered his advice about military service.

"It doesn't always work out the way you hope it will, but it is all important, even when it doesn't seem like it all the time," he wrote in his last letter to Megan Rossi back home in Casper, Wyo.

Lucero, 34, was killed in Tikrit on Oct. 25 when he and another soldier opened a box and it exploded. The other soldier survived.

Lucero graduated from high school in 1986, then spent four years in the Army. He joined the Wyoming National Guard afterward.

Lucero would go fly fishing on the Platte River almost every day and he was known to take 10-day treks by himself deep into the Wyoming outback to bow hunt for elk, said his friend Miles Bundy.

"He truly was an outdoor and survival expert," said friend Lee Blake.

Survivors include his wife, Sherry.

Gregory MacDonald loved books and classical guitar, and studied philosophy as an undergraduate. He earned his master's degree at American University in 2001, with an eye toward a career in Middle Eastern affairs.

To him, serving in the military was a way to gain credibility and experience in the field.

"He wanted to do foreign policy work, and he wanted to do it for the Middle East, and he wanted to create peace in the Middle East," said Jeni Spevak, one of his closest friends.

MacDonald, 29, of Washington, D.C., died June 25 in a vehicle accident in Iraq. He and six other Marines were traveling to help a U.S. unit under ambush when the road's shoulder gave out.

For his brother Matt MacDonald, there was at least some comfort in the way he died.

"He died doing something meaningful," the brother said. "He was going to aid other soldiers."

Vorn J. Mack was roughly 5-foot-3 and 115 pounds when Sgt. Andre Boler saw him for the first time at Fort Carson in March. "I thought he was someone's little brother, he was so young and little," Boler said.

But that made no difference: "He was a great soldier."

Mack would often cheer up soldiers with a cigarette or a story, Boler said.

The 19-year-old Mack drowned Aug. 23 near the Hadithah Dam in Iraq. The computer analyst was from Orangeburg, S.C.

Mack began basic training a month after graduation from high school in 2002, his aunt Brinder Hicks said. He was one of five children, and one sister is in the Army in Kuwait.

"He was a little man with a big heart," Hicks said.

An architectural engineering major at Drexel University, Joseph B. Maglione joined the Marine Reserves in 2000 because "he wanted to serve his country," his mother said.

"He was so proud of being a Marine. He thought the Marines were the best, the bravest," said his mother, Rosemarie Corr.

Maglione, 22, of Lansdale, Pa., was activated March 7 and stationed at Camp Pendleton before being deployed to Kuwait. He died April 1 from what a non-combat weapon discharge in Kuwait.

Maglione called home several times to say goodbye before he left. "He said he loved me and he'd miss me," Corr said.

She said he was ready to go to war.

"He thought he was going to fix everything," she said.

After drifting in and out of several fields, William J. Maher III joined the military at age 30 to "find himself," said his father, William Maher Jr. "He thanked the Army for that."

In letters home, Maher expressed pride in the mission but also said he was anxious to be closer to friends and family. He was to be discharged from the military in January.

"I don't regret being in the Army," he wrote. "Seeing all the people, places and cultures made me realize that I'm a strong person and that nothing is too difficult. The experience is like no other."

Maher, 35, of Yardley, Pa., was killed by an explosive device July 28 as he traveled in a convoy in Iraq. Stationed in Germany, he was deployed to Iraq on May 11 and told his father he was "shot at constantly."

"Like any red-blooded American, he wanted to be home, but he knew he had to be there and he wanted to do his job," his father said.

After high school, Ian D. Manuel went to work in the mortgage department of a bank in Jacksonville, Fla. But a more exciting life beckoned.

"He met a gentleman who had been a helicopter pilot in the Army," said his father, Brice Manuel, and decided he wanted to fly too.

Manuel, 23, of Jacksonville was killed Jan. 8 when a Black Hawk helicopter was shot down south of Fallujah, Iraq. Eight other soldiers on board also were killed. He was based at Fort Carson.

Born in Honolulu, the son of a retired Navy man, Manuel grew up in Maryland and Florida, where he attended high school. In Maryland, he lived with his mother near the water and developed a love of swimming. He was also an avid golfer.

"He loved the outdoors and fishing," said his mother, Tita Derrow.

Jude C. Mariano was following a family tradition when he enlisted in the Air Force after graduating from high school in 1983.

"Mom wanted us to go to college," said Gerard Mariano, his older brother. "But we were pretty proud of our lineage."

About 35 of Jude Mariano's relatives including his two brothers and his father have served in the military, in every U.S. conflict since World War II.

The 39-year-old computer specialist from Vallejo, Calif., died Feb. 10, five days after being injured in a vehicle collision. He was assigned to Travis Air Force Base.

"Jude was a very likable guy. If you met him, if you saw his smile, you'd really like him," Gerard Mariano said.

Family members were preparing for Jude Mariano's return in April. "We were going to take him out, have a barbecue outside," said his father, Ben Mariano. "We were very close to each other."

Survivors include his wife, Aniluz, and three children: Jaclyn, 13, A.J., 9, and Justin, 5.

Atanasio Haro Marin Jr.'s service in the military was a long-held dream.

Marin, 27, known as "Nacho" to his family, joined the National Guard after high school despite his parents' objections. He transferred to the Army when his tour of duty ended, and was making the military a career.

Marin, from Baldwin Park, Calif., and stationed at Fort Hood, was killed by enemy fire June 3 in Iraq.

Family members said Marin called home twice in April and had sent a Mother's Day card that read: "Don't worry, be happy."

"He was never unhappy," said his sister-in-law, Aracely Haro Marin. "He would say, 'Don't worry about it, there will be better times.'"

In his last dispatch before the war, 50-year-old John W. Marshall referred to himself as an old soldier with a clear purpose and little luxury to debate the reason for his mission.

"It's really not an issue with me. I am not a politician or a policy maker, just an old soldier," he wrote home in an e-mail. "Any doubts on my part could get someone killed."

Marshall, based at Fort Stewart, was killed April 8 by an Iraqi rocket-propelled grenade.

Marshall grew up in Los Angeles, enlisted when he was 18, and served stints in Korea and Germany. He and his wife, Denise, had six children, ages 9 to 17.

His mother, Odessa Mitchell, saw him in October before he headed to Kuwait, and never feared he wouldn't come home.

"That was something my son wanted to do. He loved the Army," she said.

Francisco A. Martinez Flores moved to California from Mexico at age 3 and joined the Marines so he could go to college. His mother said he had many aspirations, including becoming a detective or stock broker.

Martinez, 21, of Los Angeles, died March 25 when his tank went over a collapsing bridge and tumbled into the Euphrates River. He was granted U.S. citizenship after he died.

In his last letter, Martinez, the eldest of four children, told his family not to be afraid.

"He said, 'Pray for me,'" his mother, Martha, recalled.

Mrs. Martinez said she was not able to say goodbye to her son. She was in Mexico Feb. 17 because her father died; two days later her son left from Twentynine Palms.

"I'm a mother with a broken heart. I had so much love for my son and I will always be proud of him. He died for liberty," she told mourners at his funeral.

He insisted on going to Iraq when he had the choice, and he even turned down the recent offer of a two-week furlough. Francisco Martinez was completely dedicated to being a soldier.

"He loved the military life. ... It was his life," said his father, Daniel Martinez.

Martinez, 28, was killed Nov. 4 when a roadside bomb hit the truck he was traveling in near Baghdad.

He grew up in Humacao, Puerto Rico, and joined the Army 10 years ago. Martinez completed a year of service in South Korea before transferring to Fort Bragg, where he remained until the military sent him to Iraq this spring.

Martinez was expected to complete his tour in January. He planned to bring his girlfriend home to meet his family then, his father said. He is survived by his father and his mother, Luz Jimenez.

Johnny Villareal Mata grew up in the small town of Pecos, Texas, played high school football and joined the Army as a teenager to make it his career.

"Whatever he was required to do, he was willing to do," said his cousin Javier Contreras. "Even giving his life for his country."

Mata, 35, was a member of the 507th Maintenance Company and was killed after his convoy was attacked March 23. He is survived by his wife, Nancili, and his children, Eric, 16, and Stephani, 7.

Command Sgt. Maj. Jeremiah Saiz, who worked in the same office with Mata, said Mata knew everything about the vehicles he worked on, from electrical systems to engine mechanics.

"Everyone wanted to be around him," Saiz said. "He was the most knowledgeable in his area of expertise."

Donald C. May Jr. followed his parents into the military, joining the Marines the year his father, a former tank commander, died in a fishing accident.

"He was a clean-cut American boy," said his mother, Brenda Reese May. "When he decided to go into the military, I was proud. Always scared, but proud."

May, 31, from Richmond, Va., and stationed at Twentynine Palms, died March 25 when his tank fell off a bridge into the Euphrates River. His wife, Deborah, was expecting their second child when he died.

May took an interest in the military at an early age. His parents had both served in the Marines, and May became a Naval Sea Cadet at age 12 and, later, a police Explorer.

After high school, he joined the military police and guarded Iraqi prisoners during the 1991 Gulf War. He left the service for two years, then rejoined as a tank commander "just like his dad," his mother said.

During his junior year of high school, Joseph Patrick Mayek had to decide between guns and books.

"He was making the choice between college and the military and he basically came to us one day and said, 'the Army's the answer for me,'" his stepfather, David McFadden said.

Mayek, 20, of Rock Springs, Wyo., died April 14 after being struck by an armor-piercing round from an infantry fighting vehicle.

His mother, Margaret McFadden, last spoke with him on March 16.

"He called to let us know that his unit was headed into Iraq that next day," she said. "He was scared and nervous. And he couldn't stand the sand."

Mayek joined the Army in July, and had been stationed in Germany after undergoing basic training at Fort Benning.

"He was always a team guy," said Jamie Christensen, who coached Mayek on Rock Springs High School's 2002 championship football team. "He worked hard and he knew his role on the team."

Although Dustin K. McGaugh was born 30 minutes before his twin sister, Windy, she often called him "my kid brother."

"I wanted to do everything I could to take care of him," Windy McGaugh said.

McGaugh, 20, died in Balad, Iraq, on Sept. 30 of a gunshot wound. The military told his family his death was from friendly fire.

McGaugh grew up in Springdale, Ark., and graduated from high school in Tulsa, Okla., in 2001. He enlisted after high school and was based at Fort Sill.

His family said he loved children.

"When he got to Iraq, one captain was telling us that you were trained not to get out of your vehicle," said his father, James McGaugh of Springdale. "He said he looked over and Dustin was out giving candy to a bunch of kids."

Holly J. McGeogh aimed for the Army from early in high school. She spent four years as a cadet with the JROTC before joining up after she graduated in 2002.

"She was totally dedicated to going into the Army that was her destiny," said her high school guidance counselor, William Teller. Teller said the uniform she wore to school once a week was festooned with medals.

The 19-year-old light-truck mechanic from Taylor, Mich., was killed Jan. 31 when her vehicle struck a homemade explosive device near the northern Iraq city of Kirkuk. She was stationed at Fort Hood.

"Holly is another reminder that our freedom truly is not free. Holly and her friends paid the ultimate price for all of us, without complaint or regret," the family said in a statement.

Robert L. McKinley was raised by his grandfather, who last saw him around Christmas. Robert Feller thought then that he might not see his grandson again "At that time, I had cancer," Feller said.

"I wound up beating the odds," he said.

But McKinley, 23, of Kokomo, Ind., and stationed at Fort Campbell, died July 8 in Germany. He had suffered a heat stroke in Iraq in mid-June.

"The last thing he did before he headed out (to Iraq) was that he called me and my wife and said, 'Grandma and Grandpa, I love you,'" Feller said.

McKinley had enjoyed showing hogs as a 4-H member, but lacked a career focus as a young man. After enlisting in the Army, he thrived.

"This was his third trip over there," Feller said. "They told him that when he got home this time, they would give him his green beret."

Brian McGinnis' high school wrestling coach tried to persuade him to attend college, but he had other plans.

"He said the Marines were the best, and that's what he wanted to be a part of," said Jack Holloway, who coached McGinnis at high school in New Castle, Del.

McGinnis, 23, died March 30 in a helicopter crash. He was stationed at Camp Pendleton.

"He had just gotten his crew wings Saturday, the day before the accident," said his mother, Mildred Williams. "I am sure it was a big moment for him. He just loved flying. He was always so excited. He'd call me and tell me about all the stuff they were doing."

McGinnis, who was married to his high school sweetheart, joined the Marines in 1998.

"He was supposed to leave the Marines in March, but the war stopped that," Williams said. "He wanted to get a job and start a family, do it right."

Heath A. McMillin was an accomplished athlete who loved the outdoors and poured his energy into whatever pursuit caught his imagination.

"In athletics he was very competitive, wanted to win, wanted to achieve in things he was interested in," said his former basketball coach, Richard Jones. "If he felt strongly about something, he would really go above and beyond in his effort in that area."

McMillin, 29, a National Guardsman from Canandaigua, N.Y., was killed July 27 in an attack south of Baghdad.

McMillin joined the armed forces out of high school in 1993 and was stationed at Camp Pendleton in the late 1990s. He was married and had three children, ages 7, 3 and 11 months.

McMillin had one weekend left in his National Guard duty when he was informed he would be heading to Iraq, his sister said.

"He was proud to do it and he knew that is what he had to do," said Kasandra McMillin, 21, of Biddeford, Maine.

Brian McPhillips was not the type of person to accept failure.

"He was able to think quickly on his feet," said Nicholas Argento, who taught McPhillips in high school. "He always had a fiery determination about him. If he got something wrong, he wanted to know how to make it better."

McPhillips, 25, of Pembroke, Mass., died in combat April 4. He was stationed at Camp Lejeune.

His parents, David and Julia McPhillips, said in a statement that McPhillips "served his country with unwavering pride. At this difficult time we ask for your prayers, specifically for our family, his platoon, for all U.S. servicemen and women, and in general for world peace."

McPhillips, who is also survived by a younger sister, was a graduate of Providence College.

Jesus Martin "Marty" Antonio Medellin was a gentle, quiet man who was active in church and close to his parents and three brothers.

"He would always play games with me, chess, and we would play on the computer," said his 11-year-old brother, Simon. "He would take me to movies and to the store a lot."

Medellin, 21, of Fort Worth, Texas, and based at Camp Pendleton, was killed April 7 when an enemy artillery round struck his vehicle in Iraq.

His former pastor, Paul Danielson, recalled how Medellin grew up wanting to be a Marine and walked proudly in his uniform when he returned for visits. He said Medellin, who graduated from high school in 2000, was selfless, kind and never gave his parents any trouble.

For Irving Medina, serving in Iraq wasn't just about fighting. It was also about making friends. In his time there, Medina befriended several Iraqi children. One, a 10-year-old boy, was killed in a bombing.

"I've seen some of the saddest things out here," Medina wrote in his last e-mail, sent to a friend.

Medina, 22 died Nov. 14 when his convoy was hit with an explosive. Stationed at Fort Riley, he is survived by his parents, Jorge and Ana Medina.

His family moved from Mexico City to Middletown, N.Y., when Medina was 6. He attended local schools, played varsity soccer, and went on to community college. Medina joined the Army in September 2001, and was sent to Iraq last April. His twin brother recently returned from 11 months in Iraq, and his older sister is in the Army Reserves.

"We all thought we'd see him again," his father said.

Joseph Menusa originally intended to join the Air Force after graduating from high school. He changed his mind after he saw girls swarming around a uniformed Marine recruiter.

He joined the Marines, and later became a Marine recruiter himself.

Menusa, a 33-year-old veteran of the 1991 Gulf War, died in Iraq during a March 27 ambush. The Philippines-born soldier based at Camp Pendleton was awarded U.S. citizenship posthumously.

At a memorial service, parents of young men Menusa recruited told of how Menusa encouraged recruits to build self-confidence by getting good grades and seeing the world beyond their own community.

Menusa immigrated to the United States when he was 10. Raised in San Jose, Calif., he was married and had a 3-year-old son.

"He loved the Corps, he loved his family and if he had to do it over again, he wouldn't change a thing," said his wife, Stacy Menusa.

The weekend that Eddie Menyweather was killed in Iraq, his father had a dream the Army soldier would soon be returning home from war duty.

"My dad woke up Sunday, got my brother's picture, and just stared at it all morning," Menyweather's sister, Latonya Edwards, said. "He kept saying, 'He's coming home, he's coming.'"

The 14-year Army veteran was killed that day, Nov. 23, when a truck he was driving was hit by a remote-controlled roadside bomb.

Menyweather, 35, was stationed at Fort Hood. He lived in Monroe, La., until the age of 9, when he moved with his mother to Los Angeles.

Survivors include his wife, a 12-year-old son and a 9-year-old daughter.

Gil Mercado had a gentle side. The strapping, athletic young man who boxed with the Paterson, N.J., Police Athletic League also loved to draw and cook.

In Isabela, Puerto Rico, where he grew up, Mercado painted a mural depicting a half-man, half-robot character who defeated evil.

On leave from the Army, he would visit family and cook for them, said his sister, Rosa Mercado of Clifton, N.J.

Mercado, 25, of Paterson, N.J., and stationed at Fort Campbell, was killed April 13 by a non-combat weapon discharge.

One of five children, Mercado had a brother, Alnardo, serving in an artillery unit in Baghdad.

"My father is so devastated he cannot speak," Rosa Mercado said.

Those who worked with Michael M. Merila believed he was poised for a bright future in the military.

In the top 2 percent of his basic training class, he distinguished himself in his studies to become a paralegal. Sgt. Maj. Jerry Gatton called Merila one of the best soldiers he'd ever encountered.

"It's impossible for me to adequately relate what the loss of Sgt. Merila means to the Army," Gatton said.

The Fort Lewis-based soldier from Sierra Vista, Ariz., was killed Feb. 16 in Talifar, Iraq, when his convoy was hit by an explosive. It was the day before his 24th birthday.

Friends and family remembered Merila as a jokester who would drive around in the rain with the top down on his 1987 convertible. "He drew people to him," Gatton said.

Merila was scheduled for a transfer, but chose instead to stay with his unit and ship out to Iraq. "It speaks volumes about this young man, about his character, his upbringing and his values," Lt. Gen. Edward Soriano said.

Survivors include Merila's mother, a retired Army lieutenant colonel, and his father, a retired Army chief warrant officer.

Daniel K. Methvin wanted to help guard a hospital in Iraq because of his love of children, and the troops sometimes played with the young children, throwing a football around.

Methvin, 22, of Belton, Texas, and two other Fort Hood soldiers were killed July 26 when a grenade was thrown from a window of the hospital.

Michelle Methvin says she fell in love with her husband in the 7th grade. She got up the nerve to call him when she was 16.

"It's been Daniel nonstop since then," she said.

The couple have a 2-year-old son, Elijah Scott.

"He was proud to be a Ranger. But he was first and foremost a family man," said his father, George Methvin.

Jason Meyer's last letter to his mother-in-law joked that his trip to Iraq was like "being on a beach with no water."

The 23-year-old soldier from Howell, Mich., had just celebrated his first year of marriage, and he and his wife, Melissa, had been planning to start a family.

Meyer, based at Fort Stewart, was killed in combat April 8.

Meyer graduated from high school in 1999 and joined the Army in 2001. He worked in construction and built decks for family members, and he loved the outdoors and family motorcycle trips, said Connie Arnould, his mother-in-law.

His mother, Kathy Worthington, said her son's letters were always upbeat.

"He was just, 'Go for it and get it over with,'" she said. "He was always upbeat and happy. He was always a great kid."

Eliu Miersandoval was known as a friendly young man who relished soccer and the saxophone and was eager to join the Army. He saw the military as a way to expand his horizons and travel, and enlisted after high school.

"He was just awesome, always had his head on straight," said his cousin Soledad McMillen, who played in the high school marching band with Miersandoval in San Clemente, Calif.

Miersandoval, 27, was among three soldiers killed Jan. 31 when an improvised explosive device hit their vehicle near Kirkuk, Iraq. Stationed at Fort Hood, he is survived by his wife, Amanda, and year-old son, Adrian.

Born in Durango, Mexico, Miersandoval could be counted on to come to McMillen's defense. She remembers a time when he stood up for her when she was picked on during marching band.

"My friends went to tell my cousin. Let's just say the guy never bothered me again," she said.

She recalled phoning Miersandoval just before he left for Iraq.

"He said he was taking a bath, mellowing out with his son, that it would probably be his last bath for a long time," she said.

When Michael G. Mihalakis arrived in Iraq last spring, fresh out of high school, he faced extreme adversity and poverty for the first time.

Patrolling the streets of Baghdad, he saw a different world from where he grew up in Milpitas, Calif., playing guitar in a rock band while in high school.

Mihalakis, 18, was off-duty when his Humvee overturned near Baghdad International Airport on Dec. 26. He was thrown from the vehicle and crushed to death.

After graduating from high school in 2002, he had moved to San Luis Obispo, Calif., to attend summer school at Cuesta Community College. He planned to study business but joined the National Guard before the fall term began.

Mihalakis' father said his son came home from Iraq after a car accident left his sister in a coma.

When she began to recover, Mihalakis returned to Iraq. A sympathetic captain assigned him to the airport, Mihalakis' father said, instead of his prior job patrolling Baghdad's streets.

When Matthew G. Milczark graduated from his Moose Lake, Minn., high school in May, the homecoming king left an impression on his teachers and classmates.

"He was a leader here, one of those kids you would see in the hallway who automatically had that respect from others," said Tim Caroline, superintendent of Moose Lake Community Schools. "He was a good kid, happy-go-lucky and always smiling." The 18-year-old from Kettle River, Minn., died of a non-combat gunshot wound March 8 at Camp Victory, Kuwait, the military said. His body was discovered in a chapel, his family said.

When he was home on leave, Milczark had dinner with Sherman Liimatainen, his hockey coach since he was 8. "That night he told us, 'Don't worry,'æ" Liimatainen said. "Matt was a kind and caring person. He worked very hard. He had a lot of love. And he was excited about being a Marine."

Milczark followed his grandfather, three uncles and a cousin into the military.

The last time his parents heard from Jason David Mileo, he was calling them from the Baghdad square where a statue of Saddam Hussein was being toppled April 9.

His grandfather, Walter J. Hall, said a reporter gave Mileo a satellite phone to call his parents. "It was the first time they'd heard from him since (the) war started, and they were extremely relieved and happy to hear he was alive and well and in Baghdad and that victory was imminent," Hall said.

On April 14, five days later, the 20-year-old Mileo of Centreville, Md., was shot and killed after he was mistaken for an enemy soldier, the Defense Department said.

Mileo, based at Twentynine Palms, joined the Marines after graduating from high school, aiming to earn money and see the world, and hoping that what he learned would help him choose his career wisely.

In one of his last letters, sent to his grandfather from Kuwait, Mileo wrote: "I hope we don't have to go to war, but I'm ready to defend the nation."

Not sure what to do after graduating from high school in 2001, Anthony S. Miller joined the Army.

"He saw an opportunity to better himself and to apply the skills he learned in the Army at a future point," said his brother, Patrick Miller. "He had a bunch of ideas in his head."

Miller, 19, of San Antonio and based at Fort Stewart, was killed in combat April 7.

"He was a happy kid," Patrick Miller said. "If he saw anybody down, he would try to cheer him up."

The brothers' mother, Maria Teresa Saldivar, moved from San Antonio to Georgia last year to be close to her soldier son.

"He liked to have my mom with him," Patrick Miller said.

Frederick L. Miller Jr. was going to be a dad for a third time.

His wife, Jamie, told him the good news that daughters Haley and Sierra would be getting a brother in December after he had been sent overseas.

Miller, 27, of Hagerstown, Ind., died Sept. 20 in an explosion while on patrol outside Ramadi, Iraq. He was stationed at Fort Carson.

Miller joined the Army after graduating from high school in 1994. He re-enlisted after the 2001 terrorist attacks, said his mother, Anne Miller.

"He had a job to do, and that's what he was going to do," she said. "I tried to talk him out of it, but he wouldn't."

Jolene Miller said her brother was enthusiastic about his Army service, but that his tone had changed in an e-mail she received from him shortly before he was killed.

"He said things were getting worse out there," she said, "and that he was scared."

At 17, Joseph Minucci II knew he wasn't headed to college, and the National Guard offered some purpose in his life.

"He told me the reason he did what he did was that he felt that he was keeping his family safe. He was not only protecting his country, but keeping us all safe," Marcella Minucci said.

The 23-year-old soldier from Richeyville, Pa., was killed by an explosive Nov. 13 in Samara, Iraq. He was based at Camp Ederle, Italy, and is survived by his parents.

Minucci was a high school varsity football player and a soccer co-captain when he joined the National Guard. About a year later, he enlisted in the Army, and he earned his paratrooper wings at Fort Campbell.

"He was a proud soldier," Marcella Minucci said. "He was proud to be serving in Iraq."

A half-hour before an Iraqi rocket killed him on April 7, George A. Mitchell was on the phone with his wife, laying out plans to become a police officer.

"He jokingly asked me if I could put up with him in the police force, and I joked back that I'd put up with him in the Army," said Brenda Sue Mitchell.

Mitchell, 35, served six years in the Army after high school, including in the 1991 Gulf War, then went into the reserves. But he missed the military, his wife said, so decided to re-enlist in 2001 shortly after their second child was born. He deployed from Fort Stewart.

Mitchell looked forward to returning to Iraq, she said. "He said they should have taken care of the problem 12 years ago and that they were all itching to do it back then."

He wrote to his wife about the chance he might not return.

"If my fate is not to come back. I want you go on with your life," he wrote. "I am now in my mode of focusing on what is to be my fate as a soldier. I am more ready than ever knowing that you are there and the children; they are what is going to pull me through."

Other survivors include the couple's children, Bailee, 3, and Joshua, 2, and a 10-year-old son, Christopher, in Lebanon, Pa.

Keman Mitchell was the first member of his family to serve in the military.

The 24-year-old Hilliard, Fla., soldier graduated from high school in 1997 and immediately enlisted, said his father, Steven Mitchell.

"He's the only one in the family that went in the service," he said. "He was just a good kid. He loved his family."

Mitchell, stationed at Fort Carson, drowned in Iraq on May 26. The elder Mitchell said his son had planned to make a career out of the Army.

His wife, Kenya, also is stationed in the Middle East.

Jesse D. Mizener returned home to California in November for the birth of his third child, his first son. He was scheduled to come home for good soon.

"We stopped worrying; his time was so short," said his brother, Brian Mizener.

Mizener, 24, of Auburn, Calif., died Jan. 7 when a mortar round hit his Baghdad-area logistics base. Based at Fort Lewis, Mizener was a construction equipment repairer.

Mizener had been worried about mortar attacks.

"You miss home the most when you get mortared," he told The Auburn Journal in November. "It gets scary, especially when you see it land and see how close it is. That's when you really think about home a lot."

Survivors include his wife, Nicole, two daughters, ages 2 and 1, and a 2-month-old son.

Jason William Moore was gung-ho about everything no matter how much of a challenge it was.

"He was the only person who complained when boot camp was over because he wanted more," longtime friend Josh Wagner said.

Moore, 21, of San Marcos, Calif., and stationed at Camp Pendleton, was among four Marines who died in a helicopter crash May 19 in Iraq.

"He was an awesome guy, very honorable," said Sam Scolamieri, another longtime friend. "The way he was hard-core about the Marines, that's the way it was about his friendships."

After graduating from high school in 2000, Moore kept in touch with history teacher Jim Beason.

"I felt like I lost my own son," Beason said. "I'm sorry for the world to lose a kid like this."

Moore's sister Michelle said she last spoke to her brother May 16, and he was excited about the possibility of becoming a crew chief at Camp Pendleton.

"He promised me that he'd be back. He promised that nothing would happen to him."

The last time Stuart Moore talked with family members, he told them he had two weeks leave to spend with them in mid-January.

"He was excited because he knew he was going to come back and see his daughter, Candice, who he hadn't seen since she was about 3 months old," said his father, Dennis Moore, of Livingston, Texas.

Moore, 21, died Dec. 22 in Baghdad when a roadside bomb exploded near a U.S. military convoy. Candice was 21 months old when her father died.

"I know (Stuart) was proud of what he was doing. I know he didn't want to give his life. But I know he was prepared to," his father said.

Moore said his son was a Boy Scout, outgoing and liked rock climbing, hunting, fishing and camping.

Other survivors include his mother, Pam, and his wife, Molly.

Travis A. Moothart's older brother had served in Bosnia and Kosovo, and when the younger Moothart wanted to join the Army, his family resisted. Their fears increased when he was deployed to Iraq.

"I think I prepared myself when he went over there," said his mother, Sue Moothart, of Brownsville, Ore. "I knew his life was in danger every single day."

Moothart, 23, died Jan. 27 when an improvised explosive device detonated west of Baghdad.

Moothart enlisted in April 2000 and was sent to Iraq in September from Fort Riley. He also had done of tour of duty in Korea.

Survivors also include his father, Dennis.

Jose Mora knew he'd have to go back to high school, lose weight and get in shape if he wanted to join the Army. Soon after his brother was killed in an auto accident, he made good on his promises.

"He knew he had to make something of himself, please his parents and provide for his wife and family," said Lt. Col. John Powledge of the Fort Carson soldier from Bell Gardens, Calif.

The 26-year-old father of three was killed Oct. 23 in a mortar attack in Samarra, Iraq.

Mora, who worked his way up from a rifleman to a Bradley Fighting Vehicle driver to a Bradley gunner, had what it took to be an Army leader, said his first sergeant, Glenn Robinson.

"Toward the end of every month he always had two questions for me," Robinson said. "He'd ask me how I was doing, then with a smile on his face, he'd ask me when he was getting promoted."

Mora's younger sister, Yesenia, remembered her brother as extremely protective: "He and my other brother would interrogate my dates," she said.

Survivors include his wife, Biana, and children Malory, 6, Damion, 4, and 9-month-old Briana.

Kevin N. Morehead was an avid hunter and fisherman who loved his aunt's pumpkin pie.

"He would help anybody at anytime," said his uncle, Wardell Nixon. "He's just one of a kind."

Morehead, 33, died in a firefight Sept. 12 in Ramadi, Iraq. He was a Green Beret stationed at Fort Campbell, near Adams, Tenn., where he lived with his wife, Theresa.

After a memorial service, Morehead was remembered by his father for his military service.

"Today is not about me, my wife, his wife," Jim Morehead said. "It's an opportunity the state doesn't get very often, to honor a hero."

Kyle Woodson, 16, talked of his cousin's loyalty.

"He was a good friend and a good soldier," Woodson said. "I'm going to join the Army like him to be a Green Beret. He'll never be forgotten."

David J. Moreno was getting some medical training in the Navy, but planned to leave the service next year to attend medical school.

"D.J. was a very gentle, very mild-mannered, soft spoken young man," said an aunt, Barbara Lopez of Gering, Neb. "His goal was to eventually was to finish his medical training and go into pediatrics."

Moreno, 26, of Gering died July 17 in a non-hostile gun accident in Iraq. Moreno was assigned to the Naval Medical Center in San Diego as a corpsman.

Moreno joined the Navy in 1998 and was stationed for three years at naval hospital in Guam.

"He was a funny person and always respectful," said an uncle, Alex Moreno.

Born in the Dominican Republic, Luis A. Moreno came to the United States in 1991 with his family and wanted to become a police officer.

His sister, Michelle Moreno, said he was a good brother and son, who often called from Iraq and asked to speak to everyone.

"He liked to joke around and sometimes ride people," she said. "But no one ever held it against him because he was a good guy."

Moreno, 19, of New York City, died Jan. 29 from wounds suffered after he was shot while on guard duty at a gas station in Baghdad. He was based at Fort Riley.

After graduating from high school in the Bronx, Moreno enlisted in the Army and had been stationed in Baghdad for three months. His family spoke to him about two weeks before he was shot.

"I told him, 'Keep your eyes open and be careful,'" said his father, Manuel Moreno. "And he said, 'I will, Dad. Hopefully, they'll be pulling us out in March or April and I'll be home.'"

Keelan Moss was so excited about his 10-day leave that he was having trouble sleeping. That's what he told his wife by phone two days before he was set to come home and two days before he died.

"The last thing he said to me before he hung up was that the first thing he wanted to see was my beautiful smile," said Jenifer Moss.

Moss, 23, was one of 16 soldiers killed in the Nov. 2 downing of a helicopter carrying troops home on leave. He was from Houston and stationed at Fort Sill.

"I couldn't have asked for a better son," said Moss' mother, Velma Deawayne. "I know that he is really truly at home."

Deawayne said her son wrote to her often and never expressed concern about the frequent attacks against U.S. soldiers in Iraq.

An honor student in high school, Moss entered the service soon after his 1998 graduation. He had a 4-year-old son, Keelan Daniel, and planned to adopt his wife's children, Marjani, 8, and Dakari, 7.

Just hours before he died in Iraq, Cory R. Mracek sent an online instant message to his mother saying everything was fine.

"He sounded good," said Pat Mracek, of Hay Springs, Neb. "He was getting ready to go out on patrol. He said, 'It's not as bad as you think, mom.'"

Mracek, 26, died Jan. 27 when a roadside bomb exploded west of Baghdad. He was stationed at Fort Bragg, and had left for Iraq on Jan. 16.

Pat Mracek said her son first joined the National Guard, then enlisted in the Army in 1996 when he couldn't find a job. He did two tours of Korea.

"He loved the military. He was so excited to go to Iraq, a little apprehensive, I think, but mostly excited," his mother said.

Mracek loved computers, video games and movies: "He's got so much 'Star Wars' memorabilia, I don't know where I'm going to put it all," his mother said.

Other survivors include his father, Jim.

His father had concerns, but Paul T. Nakamura was intent on joining the Army Reserves. His motivation: patriotism.

"One day he said, 'Mom, Dad, I'm so proud I was born in the United States,'" said his mother, Yoko, of Santa Fe Springs, Calif.

Nakamura, 21, was killed June 19 when the ambulance he was in was struck by a rocket-propelled grenade in Iraq. He was stationed with the 437th Medical Company, based in Colorado Springs, Colo.

Nakamura was a lifeguard who had taught swimming since he was 17 and belonged to the high school water polo team, said his sister, Pearl Nakamura. Family members recalled him as a rascal and a risk-taker.

"You would tell him not to do something, and he would do it anyway," his sister said.

On Father's Day, the family spoke with him for the last time.

"The first thing he told me was that he had showered and had steak for dinner we know he was lying," said his father, Paul. "He didn't want us to worry."

As a child, Nathan Nakis loved building and earth-moving vehicles. For his birthday, an uncle got him Army boots.

When he went to Iraq, he was trained as a soldier but armed, as Gov. Ted Kulognoski put it, with the "tools of peace" part of a unit that builds and repairs Iraqi homes, roads and water systems.

Nakis, 19, of Sedro-Woolley, Wash., was killed Dec. 16 in Iraq when the truck he was driving rolled over.

Nakis was an honor student and Boy Scout and enrolled in Oregon State University with plans to become a civil engineer. He had been in school about a month when his unit was activated.

While overseas, he won over children with his soccer and slingshot skills, and youths would stand outside his tent, calling his name and asking him to come play, said Joe Mesteth, his company's family support coordinator.

"His heart was different than other people's hearts," family friend Mike Janicki said. "Nathan went over there to win the peace."

Survivors include his parents, Arty and Elinor Nakis.

Kenneth A. Nalley was well known in his hometown of Hamburg, Iowa population 1,240 because he had worked at a local gas station for almost three years, pumping gas, changing oil and fixing tires.

Bob Cooper, a mechanic at Hamburg Oil who spent 22 years in the Army, had counseled Nalley that joining the Army and gaining some experience as a military policeman could give him an edge when apply for a police job.

"He didn't smoke," Cooper said. "He didn't drink. He didn't do drugs because he wanted to be a policeman. That was his way to make sure that he didn't have any troubles, so that he could get to that position in life."

Nalley, 19, based in Germany, died May 26 in a vehicle accident in Iraq.

"He was really a good boy and everybody liked him," Hamburg City Clerk Georgann Stephens said. "He had wanted to be a police officer, so he had gone into the service and he was just so happy because he thought he was improving his life."

Christopher G. Nason was a superb leader who was an expert linguist and able to accomplish any mission given him, said his battalion commander, Lt. Col. Mark Costello.

Nason, a member of the 306th Military Intelligence Battalion, excelled in highly stressful environments, Costello said.

The 39-year-old from Los Angeles was killed Nov. 23 when his vehicle was struck by a civilian tanker truck in northern Iraq. He was based at Fort Huachuca.

Nason was in charge of the unmanned aerial vehicle section of the New Systems Training and Integration Office.

He is survived by a sister.

Family and childhood friends of Kevin G. Nave say he always knew he wanted to be in the Marines.

He attended the University of Michigan on an ROTC scholarship and went to Marine officers school immediately after college, said T.J. McCullough, a high school classmate and ex-Marine.

Nave, 36, of White Lake Township, Mich., died March 26 in a vehicle accident.

A veteran of the 1991 Gulf War, he was stationed at Camp Pendleton and is survived by his wife, Carrie, and their two children.

Nave particularly enjoyed commanding Marines, said Sgt. William Stewart of a Wisconsin-based unit where Nave previously served.

"He had a particular attention to detail," Stewart said. "He was very hands-on, very educated and well-spoken."

Rafael L. Navea's family cherished him both for his big-picture perspective and for the way he was with those he loved.

"He wanted to have a better world for everybody," said his mother, Lucia Kirkpatrick of Weston, Fla.

"He was a very, very good man, a very good man and an excellent father. I cannot explain to you how wonderful he was as a husband," said his wife, Marina Ianni-Navea.

Navea, 34, of Pittsburgh died Aug. 27 in Iraq after his vehicle hit an explosive device. Stationed at Fort Sill, he was the father of sons ages 12, 5 and 3.

Navea made clear his love for his family, said Lt. Col. David Hill, battalion commander.

"Every time we spoke, that was our first topic of conversation. He was very proud of his wife and three sons and he always had a smile on his face when he talked about them."

As a single parent, Paul M. Neff II worried about leaving behind his 9-year-old son when he was sent to Iraq. But serving in the Army "was what he wanted to do," his mother said.

"He had the option of getting out about three years ago and he didn't. He loved it and wanted to be there," mother Judy Baker said.

Neff, 30, was killed Nov. 7 when the Black Hawk helicopter he was riding crashed near Tikrit, Iraq. He was stationed at Fort Campbell and lived with his fiancee in Clarksville, Tenn.

An avid outdoorsman, Neff followed his father when he joined the Army a few months after graduating from high school in 1991. Paul Neff Sr. is a two-tour Vietnam War veteran who served in the military for 20 years.

"I don't know if it was instilled in him from family, but that was his choice. He wanted to be a pilot, but he knew he couldn't do that so he went to the helicopters," Baker said.

At Gavin L. Neighbor's funeral, his uncle thanked some of his fellow paratroopers for helping make him what he was.

"And they said, 'He helped make us what we are,'" Mike Bonham said.

Neighbor, 20, from Somerset, Ohio, and stationed at Fort Bragg, died June 10 after being hit by enemy fire in Baghdad.

Brandy Hammond, who met Neighbor in the eighth grade, said she was sure her best friend had lived his dream.

"Ever since I met him, all he wanted was to be in the Army," she said. "He wanted to be the one to assassinate Saddam."

Neighbor's mother, Cathy, said her son had hoped to join the elite Army Rangers. "He loved what he was doing," she said.

"He loved making me proud," stepfather Willie Neighbor said, clenching a plaque his stepson sent home after earning his paratrooper wings.

For Joshua M. Neusche's family, there was at least some comfort in being able to see him just before he died.

Neusche, 20, of Montreal, Mo., died July 12 at a hospital in Germany from pneumonia contracted earlier in Iraq. He was an Army Reservist based in Joplin, Mo.

Monique Willcut, Neusche's cousin, said Neusche's parents arrived in Germany a few days before his death, as doctors were trying stabilize him so he could be flown to a hospital in the United States.

"He never made it there," Willcut said. "But at least my aunt, uncle and cousin Jacob made it in time and were able to be with him before he died."

Willcut said 650 soldiers in Neusche's unit, still in Iraq, each gave $10 to pay for the family's airfare and expenses in Germany.

"It was so nice of them to do that," Willcut said. "If they hadn't my cousin would have died all alone."

As a boy, Patrick Nixon looked after his terminally ill mother. Doctors at first gave Holly M. Woodruff, divorced from Nixon's father, just six months to live. But she held on for six years.

"A lot of that is due to Pat," said his older brother, Joe Nixon. "He did everything he could at his young age to keep her happy."

Nixon, 21, of Gallatin, Tenn., and based at Camp Lejeune, was killed in combat March 23.

Nixon enlisted with two friends while he was still in high school, and went to basic training after graduating in 2000.

Military service is a tradition in Nixon's family. Relatives have served in World War I, World War II and the Korean War. His father is a Vietnam veteran and his two older brothers are veterans.

"He joined the Marines to defend his country," said his stepmother, Debra Nixon. "He didn't want to talk about getting married or settling down or anything right now. That's what he wanted."

Joseph Carl Norquist liked to work out with weights at the base and try out wrestling moves on his Army buddies. Mostly, though, he was known for his commitment.

"He was a great guy, a hard-charging soldier, very reliable and dedicated, " said Michael Sadler, his friend and former sergeant at Fort Hood. "If you gave him a mission, you never had to go back and double-check, to see if he'd done it. You just knew he had."

The 26-year-old Norquist, a native of Martinez, Calif., was killed in Iraq on Oct. 9 when his convoy was attacked.

"Joe believed in the job he was doing in Iraq. He thought it was worth it for the children, who would have better opportunities for a better life," his parents, Sue and Carl Norquist, said of their only child.

Growing up with an Army dad, Leif E. Nott was born in Italy, raised in Europe and graduated from high school in Germany and he spoke at least five languages.

When it was time for college, he came back to the United States to continue the family's military tradition, enrolling at the U.S. Military Academy.

Nott, 24, based at Fort Hood, died July 30 of wounds received from hostile fire in Belaruz, Iraq.

Family members said Nott was known for his "can-do" attitude. His latest assignment was troop executive officer, the right-hand man for the troop commander.

Nott had met his wife, Melanie, in a Bible study class while at Fort Knox.

For Heidi Nutt, there was no doubt about David Nutt.

"I knew it from the moment I met him," she said. The two were married seven months after meeting at Fort Campbell, where he was in the Army and she worked in child services.

"He was just a proud, wonderful man," she said. "A strong soldier who never complained."

Nutt, 32, of Blackshear, Ga., was driving a truck in Iraq May 14, when he swerved to avoid an automobile driven by an Iraqi civilian. The truck overturned and Nutt was killed.

He is also survived by their 4-year-old daugther, Emily.

Heidi Nutt last spoke with her husband the day after Mother's Day. She says she remembers every word.

"He wanted to wish me a happy anniversary and he couldn't wait to come home to see us," she said.

Donald Samuel Oaks' father remembers the last time he talked with his son, on a call from Kuwait in January.

"He said, 'Dad, I'll never take anything for granted again. People don't know what they have in the United States. All I want to do is come home, take a shower, be with my family and go fishing,'" Donald Oaks Sr. said.

Oaks, 20, of Harborcreek, Pa., and stationed at Fort Sill, was killed in action in Iraq April 3.

"As a teacher, you know, you can pick out students that you would really like to have in class all the time," said Jeff Harvey, Oaks' high school economics teacher. "He was one of those students for me."

After graduating in 2000 and joining the Army, Oaks returned to his high school to address a student assembly about the military.

"You could see the passion in him," the assistant principal, Andrew Krahe, remembered.

Branden Oberleitner felt compelled to join the military after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks and was passionate about military service: "That's all he wanted to do," friend Kevin Earhart said.

"He's described as a model soldier, a soldier others could count on, turn to and laugh with," another friend, William Owen, said.

Oberleitner, 20, of Worthington, Ohio, was killed by enemy fire June 6 in Iraq. He was stationed at Fort Campbell in Kentucky.

"It was my honor to have watched him grow into the man he became: a loving brother and son and proud member of the 101st Airborne Assault," his father, Frank Carmack, said in a statement.

He told his mother after the Sept. 11 attacks that he was enlisting, family friend Keith Luce said.

"Three weeks ago, he wrote home and said he was kicking butt in Baghdad and was going to Mosul to see if anyone wanted to fight," Luce said.

Patrick T. O'Day married his high school sweetheart shortly before heading overseas and was looking forward to the birth of their first child, due in September.

"They were a young couple with a lot of dreams and hopes," said his father, Tim O'Day. "I think he would've made a wonderful father. He always had a lot of patience, very understanding."

O'Day, 20, of Santa Rosa, Calif., was based at Twentynine Palms. He died in combat March 25.

He was drawn to the Marines because of the allure as one of the toughest branches of the military, his wife, Shauna O'Day, said.

During boot camp, he developed stress fractures in his legs, but rather than accept a medical discharge, he spent six months in a rehabilitation platoon, returned to boot camp and completed his training as a tank gunner.

"He was proud to be a Marine," his wife said. "He liked their reputation and he liked their discipline."

Richard P. Orengo had worked since 1996 as a police officer in the motorcycle unit in Bayamon, Puerto Rico, a suburb of San Juan.

Police officers in his unit cried at news of his death and hung a photo adorned with a black ribbon in the unit's headquarters, while many Puerto Rican and U.S. flags flew at half-staff in the U.S. Caribbean territory.

Orengo, 32, died June 26 from gunshot wounds suffered while investigating a car theft in Iraq. Orengo had been assigned to the 755th Military Police Company in Arecibo and was sent to Iraq in May.

His father, Teodoro Orengo, called his son "a tremendous human being."

Orengo is survived by his wife, Carmen Ivette Berrios Rodriguez, and children ages 7, 8 and 18.

Despite his high rank, Kim S. Orlando never hesitated to lead his soldiers personally, whether on a three-mile run in below-freezing temperatures or on patrol in the streets of Karbala.

Chaplain Maj. Steve Turner recalled one particular run on a frigid January morning. Shorts only no warm-up pants; jackets were optional.

"We got to the line; the whistle blew. And Col. Orlando led the pack," Turner said. "He led by example."

Orlando, 43, was one of three Fort Campbell soldiers killed Oct. 16 in a clash with gunmen guarding the headquarters of a Shiite cleric in Karbala, Iraq.

Maj. Darryl Johnson of the 716th Military Police Battalion said Orlando, the battalion commander, was "constantly moving to the front and disregarding his own safety."

Orlando, a native of Nashville, Tenn., enlisted in the Army as a military policeman in 1982 and was commissioned in 1986. Survivors include his wife, Sherry, who works in the public affairs office at Fort Campbell, and two sons.

A reservist on his first deployment, Eric Orlowski called his mother, stepfather and 3-year-old daughter, CamerynLee, just 10 hours before he died.

"He was always there for his daughter, and he loved her more than anything," said the girl's mother, Nicole Kross, an Air Force reservist.

Orlowski, 26, of Buffalo, N.Y., and based at Camp Lejeune, N.J., was killed March 22 in an accidental discharge of a machine gun.

Kross and Orlowski had gone their separate ways, but their daughter kept them close. Orlowski sent Kross letters from overseas, the last saying he was headed for Iraq.

"I don't think he was scared," Kross said. "The thing he feared most was leaving his daughter."

At a funeral Mass, Orlowski was remembered as a man who made a difference in people's lives by caring for them.

"He was a go-getter, a well-rounded Marine. He always volunteered for extra duty," Gunnery Sgt. John Hai said.

The son of Mexican immigrants who worked in the grape fields, Osbaldo Orozco was a star high school football player who attended California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, on a full football scholarship. He was the first in the family to graduate from college.

"He set the path for us to follow," said his brother Andy, 18. "He was always there for me."

Orozco, 26, from Earlimart, Calif., and based at Fort Hood, died April 25 in a vehicle accident while responding to enemy fire.

Orozco enrolled in Cal Poly's ROTC program and was commissioned as an Army officer the day he graduated. Family members said he loved being in the Army.

"The excitement, the thrill of being out there, and I guess the pressure at the same time of being in control, being in command of people he just loved it," said his brother Jorge, 28.

Orozco thought he might join the FBI or CIA after his Army service, said his wife of two years, Mayra Orozco.

"He had a real leadership quality," she said.

As a teenager, Cody Orr was a typical country boy.

He was fond of John Deere ball caps and Western-style belt buckles and loved anything mechanical, said Wayne Nicholson, Orr's high school auto tech teacher.

"He was a good, solid kid," Nicholson said. "He's the kind of kid who would feel like he had an obligation to his country and would say, "I need to do that.' "

Orr, 21, of Ruskin, Fla., died Jan. 17 when a roadside bomb detonated north of Baghdad. He was stationed at Fort Hood.

Relatives said Orr was nearing the end of his yearlong duty in Iraq, and was a couple weeks from celebrating his first wedding anniversary. Orr and his wife, Jackie, had three weeks together after their wedding before Orr was shipped overseas.

"He and Jackie were buying a house and talking about having children," said his aunt, DiAnn Miller.

Kevin Ott had worked with a youth group and sang in the church choir in his hometown of Orient, Ohio. He decided to join the military after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, and even when he was deployed to Iraq, his father says, he wasn't afraid of dying.

"He was completely at peace," Charles Ott said.

Ott's body along with that of another soldier were discovered June 28 near Baghdad, three days after they were reported missing some 25 miles away. Ott, 27, was part of an artillery unit based at Fort Sill.

Pam Condo, 49, remembered the time her brother gave her a ride on his beloved motorcycle.

"I was afraid because I knew he loved to go really fast, but to my surprise, he went really slow because he knew I was scared," she said.

Ott played defensive end for a season at Bluffton College, was on the football and basketball teams in high school, and coached his nephew's Little League team, Condo said. His calls and letters during the war were reserved, but his family could tell he was proud.

"He absolutely loved Army life," Charles Ott said.

David Edward Owens Jr. joined the Marines after high school as training to become a state trooper.

He wasn't worried about going to Iraq, he told his parents. It was what he had been training for.

"That was his job," said his mother, Debbie Owens. "He was very proud to be a Marine."

Owens, 20, of Winchester, Va., and based at Camp Pendleton, died after being wounded in combat April 12.

An only child, Owens loved hunting and athletics and was a wrestler and football player in high school.

"Our whole life was centered around him," his mother said.

Her son, she said, was always trying to make her laugh. Whenever he discovered her crying, Owens would come over and gently chide her.

He would say, "You don't need to be crying. Why are you crying?" she said.

"We couldn't ask for a better child."

Fernando Padilla-Ramirez shipped out for Iraq only five days after the birth of his second son. He also has a 5-year-old boy.

Padilla-Ramirez, 26, of San Luis, Ariz., was killed March 28 in combat. He was with Marine Wing Support Squadron 371, based in Yuma, Ariz.

"The family is pretty torn up right now," said Joe Harper, mayor of San Luis, a small border city in western Arizona.

Lorenza R. Padilla, Padilla-Ramirez's mother, said her son joined the Marines as a teen and was in the last year of his military commitment. He was born in San Luis Rio Colorado, Mexico, and became an American citizen about two years ago, she said.

Shawn Pahnke grew up with military pride his father was a Vietnam veteran and his grandfather served in World War II and he was fulfilling his lifelong dream to serve in the military.

"His last letters talked about how proud he was to be a soldier," said his father, Tom Pahnke. "He was glad that he was finally doing what he was trained to do."

Pahnke, 25, of Shelbyville, Ind., was killed June 16 by a sniper in Iraq. He had enlisted in October after getting married and was stationed in Germany.

Tom Pahnke said his son missed the birth of his son, Dean, on March 20, but was able to speak with his wife, Elisha, on a cell phone.

"She had Shawn on the phone talking to him while she had the baby," Tom Pahnke said. "Shawn was able to hear the baby cry for the first time and know that he had a son."

A native of Nicaragua, Gabriel Palacios joined the Army in 2002.

The combat engineer moved with front-line troops, clearing mines, building temporary bridges and evaluating whether buildings and other structures were safe for troops to enter.

Palacios, 22, died Jan. 21 when a mortar round exploded near Baqouba, Iraq. He was stationed at Fort Hood, and listed Lynn, Mass., as his home.

Eric T. Paliwoda had a busy life ahead of him. There was a wedding to plan, a master's degree to earn and a teaching position to pursue.

"He was very excited. He'd be a wonderful teacher; he had a very commanding presence," said his mother, Mary Paliwoda.

Paliwoda, 28, of Goodyear, Ariz., was killed Jan. 2 when his command post came under a mortar attack in Balad, about 50 miles northwest of Baghdad. An engineer, he was based at Fort Carson.

Paliwoda and his fiancee, Wendy Rosen, were planning a June wedding, said his father, Alfred Paliwoda. He also wanted to earn a master's degree and teach at his alma mater, West Point, said his mother.

Paliwoda grew up in Farmington, Conn., and was a standout basketball player in high school. Many universities sought the 6-foot-7 player, and he chose the prestigious military college, Mary Paliwoda said.

"Originally, he did go there to play basketball. But he was always willing to devote himself for our country," she said.

Some people are lucky enough to know what they want to do with their lives at a very early age. Dale Panchot was one of those people.

"He wanted to be a soldier from the time he could pull on a pair of camouflage pants, from the time he was 3 years old," recalled his mother, Karen Panchot. "He wore those every day and his friends would always be out in the fields, playing Army."

Panchot, 26, was killed Nov. 17 in an ambush on his patrol near Balad, Iraq. He was based at Fort Carson and is survived by his mother and his father, Arland Panchot.

He grew up in Northome, Minn., playing baseball, football and basketball in high school. He joined the Army Reserves at 17, following his father and grandfather into the military.

Days before he died Panchot told his parents he had signed up for his last three-year tour. Having fulfilled his dreams of military service, he had new ones. "He wanted to be a history teacher and raise a family," his mother said.

Daniel Parker followed in the footsteps of his father and grandfather when he enlisted in the Army last year, believing that military service was not just a family tradition but a public obligation.

"He was proud to be in the Army and proud to be serving his country," said his father, Billy Parker.

The 18-year-old soldier from Lake Elsinore, Calif., died in Mosul, Iraq, on Aug. 12 after being thrown from his vehicle when the driver swerved to avoid hitting an Iraqi civilian vehicle. He was stationed at Fort Campbell.

Parker was active in church youth programs and coached and refereed hockey before he joined the Army after high school.

"He had strength of character," his father said. "He believed dedication and hard work equals success."

James D. Parker's quick wit and smile earned him many friends in central Texas even though he lived there just two years.

"Every time I was with him there was always something to laugh about," said his girlfriend, Amy Bolline. "He was such a happy person you couldn't help but be happy right along with him."

Parker, 20, grew up in San Diego, where he developed a love for surfing, hip-hop and freestyle rapping. Shortly after he graduated from high school, his family moved to Bryan, Texas, and he came along.

Parker, based at Fort Hood, was killed Jan. 21 when a mortar round exploded near him near Baqubah, Iraq. He had volunteered for ordnance disposal.

Friends said Parker saw the military as an opportunity to develop discipline, a chance to make it on his own and a way to someday help pay for tuition at Texas A&M, where he hoped to study engineering.

"He felt like he had a calling. He was proud of what he was doing, so I'm proud of him," said his father, Jim Parker.

Parker also is survived by his mother, Lynnea Parker.

David B. Parson joined the Marines about a year after high school graduation, then left after four years to move closer to his mother and stepfather. He worked for a time doing maintenance work on planes owned by NASCAR drivers.

But he found he preferred a more regimented life and joined the Army, said stepfather Bill Whitlow. The family shipped out to his base in Germany in February, and Parson left for Iraq on Mother's Day.

Parson, 30, of Kannapolis, N.C., died July 6 under hostile fire in Iraq.

Parson would have been married six years on July 17. He and his wife, Mary "Emmy," 23, have three children, ages 1 to 4.

William Lee Payne joined the Army shortly after graduating from high school in 1975, and had planned to retire soon. But feeling a duty to the men who served under him, he delayed his retirement because of the war.

"He felt that he should go over there with his men that he worked with so long," said his stepmother, Beverly Payne of Clarkston, Wash.

Payne, 46, originally from Otsego, Mich., and stationed at Fort Riley, died May 16 in an ordnance explosion.

Payne is survived by his wife, Karin, and sons John, 21, and Nicholas, 14.

Christie Vanover, a Fort Riley civilian spokeswoman, said her husband served with Payne and "knew him as a good leader, a strong first sergeant for the troops in his company."

"I know his death does touch the hearts of many," she said.

Michael Pedersen was many things: a practical joker, a basketball lover, a hero to his younger siblings, a great father to his 7-year-old daughter, Destiny.

"He was a quiet person," said his widow, Chanel Pedersen of Savannah, Ga. "A great father. He loved his daughter. He was an excellent soldier."

Pedersen, 26, a Flint, Mich., native based at Fort Stewart, died in a helicopter crash April 2 during a fire fight.

"He was a hero before he died. ... He was a man of his word and everybody loved him," said his brother Howard Lipscomb Jr., 21.

Pedersen's stepfather, Howard Lipscomb Sr., remembered Pedersen's rough game of backyard basketball.

"Every other day I was putting up a new goal because they were tearing it down," he said.

Brian Penisten was on his way home to marry his fiancee, Johnna Loia, in a ceremony planned for Nov. 7. He had talked with her just before he was set to leave Iraq.

Then he died in the Nov. 2 downing of a helicopter carrying troops home on leave.

"It's horrible," said his fiancee's father, John Loia. "It just ruined two people's lives."

Penisten, 28, was stationed at Fort Carson.

A member of his Fort Wayne, Ind., high school wrestling team for four years, Penisten advanced to the state tournament his senior year and compiled a 35-2 record.

"He was one of the hardest workers on the mat we had," high school athletic director Andy Johns said. "He was a small guy, and he wrestled at 135 pounds his senior year. He was really a good student and a unique individual. He was fun to be around."

He occasionally returned to the school after graduation, and kept in touch with the school's principal, Fred Tone, who had coached Penisten's wrestling team.

"He was one tough cookie," Tone said. "He had an inner drive and desire to challenge himself to be the very best."

Richard Pennanen's experiences as a member of the Air Force led him to encourage his son, Ross Pennanen, to join the military as well.

"He had listened to his dad talk about how much he had gained from being in the military," Richard's wife, Linda Pennanen, said. "Richard had always encouraged him to do that."

"He gave the ultimate sacrifice for his country his life," Richard Pennanen said.

Ross Pennanen, 36, of Shawnee, Okla., was among 16 killed in the Nov. 2 downing of a helicopter carrying troops home on leave. He was stationed at Fort Sill.

Although he joined the Army when he was 34, Pennanen "was very gung-ho" and physically fit from studying the martial arts, stepbrother Brent Shreck said. "He was always spit-and-polish and had his uniform shoes shined," Shreck said.

"He was well-liked by his comrades," said his biological mother, Erma Pennanen.

Shreck said Pennanen saw enlisting in the military as a way to invest in his future.

"He figured this would be a way to pay for school," he said. "He saw it as a way to improve his life, improve himself."

Pennanen is also survived by his 7-year-old son, Gage.

When Hector R. Perez was sent to Iraq at the start of the war, his family anxiously gathered around the television hoping to catch a glimpse of him on the news.

As the months went on and soldiers kept dying, the only person still watching was Perez's father. Esequial Perez, a World War II veteran, would sit quietly in his wheelchair and hold out hope that his son would return home.

Hector Perez, 40, of Corpus Christi, Texas, was killed July 24, when his convoy was ambushed.

"I was always proud, ever since he was a little boy," Esequial Perez, 77, said as he cried softly. "He was always a good boy, always joking and playing around."

Hector Perez, who had been married to Elisa Perez for nearly 17 years, is also survived by daughters Marla, 14, Elisa, 13, and Lily, 4.

"Men like him, men like my dad, are the reason for the freedoms that we all share. Remember that he was a hero," said Perez's sister, Rosa Anna Garza.

Joel Perez was born in Rio Grande, Puerto Rico, grew up in Newark, N.J., and was stationed at Fort Sill in Oklahoma.

"Joel was a very kind, thoughtful and courageous man who loved his family, loved the Army, and loved being a soldier," his family said in a statement. "We are extremely proud of his bravery and his service to his country. He was a hero. Our thoughts and prayers go out to the other soldiers who were killed and their families."

Perez, 25, was one of 16 soldiers who died in the Nov. 2 downing of a helicopter carrying troops home on leave.

He is survived by his wife, Milagros Perez, and 18-month-old daughter, Jaileen, both of Newark.

Combat medic Jose Amancio Perez III's irrepressible sense of humor was matched only by his genuine desire to help others.

"One of the things he always wanted to do was be a paramedic, and he was using the combat medic as a step to do that and help people," said Spec. Alvie Jones.

"He had an amazing sense of humor. He could crack a smile out of a stone wall."

Perez, 22, from San Diego, Texas, and stationed at Fort Sill, died May 28 when his convoy was ambushed.

When his flag-draped casket arrived in his hometown of about 5,000 people where his family is one of the largest the hearse was met by hundreds of neighbors lining the roadway, waving flags and holding candles. Residents later raised two long columns of flags to attention.

Perez was remembered as a sharply dressed, competitive young man who worked hard but knew how to enjoy himself.

"He also loved the Army," said his best friend, Rene Salaiz. "He spoke of it proudly, just like when he caught an interception in a (high school) football game. He flashed his dog tags around."

Months before deploying to Iraq, Wilfredo Perez Jr. returned to his high school beaming with pride in his Army uniform. Perez, who did not graduate from the school but passed a GED exam, spoke with students about overcoming mistakes they make.

"He was looking very sharp and very proud, very pleased with himself," said Robin Beavers, head of security at the school. "You could see it all over his face when he came here the chest was sticking out, he'd look you straight in the eye when he was talking to you. He had that confidence."

Perez, 24, of Norwalk, Conn., was among three soldiers killed July 26 in a grenade attack as they guarded a hospital in Iraq. He was stationed at Fort Hood.

Perez's 25-year-old sister, Lisa Perez, said her brother went into the military seeking a positive direction in his life. But he was looking forward to coming home from Iraq.

"He said he missed everybody," she said. And she recounted her brother's descriptions of life in Iraq: "It was crazy. People were just coming out of nowhere. You don't know who's trying to hurt you."

As a prison guard at Wasco State Prison in California, David S. Perry was respected not only by his colleagues but by inmates as well, his supervisor said.

"He was consistent. He utilized his military ability to be very fair but firm with the inmates and very supportive with the staff," said Lt. Troy Ojeda.

A military policeman, Perry, 36, of Bakersfield, was killed in Baqouba, Iraq, on Aug. 10 when a package dropped off at police headquarters exploded. He is survived by a wife and three children ages 1, 4 and 6.

"He was a great person. He was goal-oriented. He wanted the best for the department, the best for the military and the best for his family," Ojeda said.

Alyssa R. Peterson was a woman of faith who had a gift for learning foreign languages.

"She was a quiet, very intelligent woman who asked a lot of good questions about life and religion," said Terry Leisek, who taught Peterson at a theological training center for members of the Mormon faith.

Peterson, 27, of Flagstaff, Ariz., died Sept. 15 from a non-combat weapons discharge in Iraq. She was stationed at Fort Campbell before being deployed to conduct interrogations and translate enemy documents.

Peterson graduated from Northern Arizona University in May 2001 with a degree in psychology. She was fluent in Dutch and easily mastered Arabic at the military's Defense Language Institute after enlisting in July 2001.

During her time at NAU, Peterson also attended the Flagstaff Institute of Religion, the theological training center.

"She was a very, very good lady who will be missed by a large number of friends," Leisek said.

Brett Petriken was such a loyal Detroit Lions football fan that he had game tapes sent to him overseas.

"He loved to watch them, win or lose," said his stepmother, Kathy Petriken.

He also loved a good joke, and knew how to make people feel at ease, said his uncle, Dave Petriken. "Nobody had a bad word to say about him," he said.

Petriken, 30, from Flint, Mich., and stationed in Germany, was killed in a traffic accident May 26 in Iraq.

Just before he left for Iraq, he told his mother not to worry.

"He said 'I have a bulletproof vest and a bulletproof Humvee. Mom, I'm trained for this,'" Deborah Petriken said.

Jeff Blanchard, a former high school substitute teacher, said Petriken was "just a clean-cut, polite, nice young man."

"You never had to ask him to be quiet, you never had to ask him to sit down," he said. "When it's that quality of an individual, it really hurts."

Petriken is survived by his wife, Christina, and 8-year-old daughter.

Jerrick Petty made it his mission to look out for others. When he was 10 years old, his father remembers, he beat up neighborhood bullies who were picking on other children. In high school, he screened his little sisters' suitors to make sure they were good people.

Petty was working in construction and at a McDonald's in Idaho Falls, Idaho, but joined the Army about six months ago to earn more money to support his young family.

On Dec. 10, the 25-year-old soldier was killed by hostile fire while guarding a gas station in Mosul, Iraq. Stationed at Fort Campbell, he is survived by his wife, Tiffany, daughter Azure Dawn, 2, and son Jerrick McKen II.

"The last thing he said to me was, 'I love you, Dad," said his father, Jerald Petty. "And the last thing I said to him was, 'I love you, son."

The eldest of nine children, Gladimir Philippe called home from Iraq often and counseled his little brother to swear off girls and keep his head on straight.

"He was like my best friend and my brother at the same time," said Fedlyn Philippe, 16, Gladimir's youngest brother. "He was a person I could just talk to. I looked up to him a lot."

Philippe's body and that of a fellow soldier were found May 28 near Baghdad. The soldiers were reported missing three days earlier from the town of Balad, 25 miles north of the Iraqi capital.

Philippe, 37, of Roselle, N.J., was part of an artillery unit based at Fort Sill. He enlisted in the Army in 1988 after graduating from high school.

The Army "was something (Gladimir) chose to do," his brother said. "He always told me not to join. He told me to play basketball and keep my head strong and don't worry about girls, and to do good in school."

Whether he was leaving love notes for his wife or saving stray dogs while serving in Iraq, Pierre Piche was intent on caring for others.

"He had a deep conviction to leave the world a better place," Lisa Johnson said of her only child.

Piche, 29, died Nov. 15 when two Black Hawk helicopters collided in Iraq. He grew up in Starksboro, Vt., and was based at Fort Campbell.

After returning from Iraq, Piche planned to give up his promising Army career so his wife could pursue her dream of becoming a school principal.

Piche's devotion extended to everyday gestures: He brought his wife flowers regularly and pasted their home with notes telling her he loved her. Three days before his death he sang the song "I just called to say I love you" into her answering machine.

Cherish Piche did not discover some of the notes her husband had left her, hidden in the sleeves of her coat, until she put on the garment to head to his funeral.

"This was not supposed to happen," Johnson said. "He was supposed to grow old with his wife."

Lori Piestewa was a member of the Hopi Tribe and the first American servicewoman killed in the war in Iraq.

"Our family is proud of her. She is our hero," her brother Wayland said. "We are going to hold that in our hearts. She will not be forgotten. It gives us comfort to know that she is at peace right now."

Piestewa, 23, of Tuba City, Ariz., was with a convoy of the 507th Maintenance Company that was ambushed March 23.

Piestewa, a single mother raising a 4-year-old son and 3-year-old daughter, enlisted in the Army two years ago but had always been interested in a military career. As a high school student, she served as a commanding officer of Junior ROTC. Her father and grandfather also served in the Army.

"She will be remembered as a daughter, as a proud mother of two, as a good friend able to comfort others in distress," Hopi Tribal Chairman Wayne Taylor said.

While stationed in Iraq, James H. Pirtle wrote letters to family and friends in New Mexico, telling them of warming relations with farmers, his love for the Iraqis and his hopes for the U.S. mission.

In a letter to his mother, he called his work in Iraq "the experience of a lifetime, and the reason I joined the Army."

Pirtle, 27, died Oct. 4 when his Bradley fighting vehicle was attacked about 60 miles north of Baghdad. He had been in the Army for more than two years and was stationed at Fort Hood.

Pirtle who went by the name Heath had planned to come home in January and join his wife, two stepsons and a new baby girl in the family's new home.

"He was a beautiful person, inside and out," said his wife, Ursula Pirtle.

Pirtle graduated from high school in 1994 and attended Dona Ana Branch Community College in Las Cruces before joining the Army in 2001. He was featured in a photo in Time magazine before heading off to the Middle East.

"My son was my hero before he went in now he's the world's hero," said his mother, Kay Beeman.

Wade Lieseke and his wife took in Frederick Pokorney after the death of the young man's aunt, with whom he had been living. Pokorney thrived attending high school in his two-plus years in the small mining town of Tonopah, Nev.

"Fred, all he needed was stability. He did the rest himself," said Lieseke, a former county sheriff. "He was the best at football, all-state at basketball, best at scholastics, first in his (boot camp) class."

"He could have been anything he wanted to be," Lieseke said. "He wanted to be a Marine."

Pokorney, 31, based at Camp Lejeune, was killed in combat March 23. Pokorney lived in Jacksonville, N.C., with his wife and their 2-year-old daughter.

Pokorney attended Oregon State University, where a former neighbor said he was a "wonderful dad and husband" who cut an impressive figure.

"I had to look up at him, he was way over 6 feet," Dave Sodeman said. "I wouldn't want him on the wrong side of me."

Andrew Pokorny's commitment to the Army and his fellow soldiers had been unwavering ever since he joined the service fresh out of high school and began his career as a mechanic.

"He just loved the camaraderie. He loved being with other soldiers, the soldiers who were under him," said his wife, Martha. "Everything about them came first."

Pokorny, 30, of Naperville, died June 13 in a vehicle accident in Iraq. He was stationed at Fort Carson.

Martha Pokorny said her husband's commander told her Pokorny had saved another soldier's life before losing his own.

His sister, Barbara Bonnet, said that despite her worries she had understood her brother's commitment to his job.

"This was his thing. He was proud to be doing it," she said. "He was ready to get down there and do it and do it right."

Martha Pokorny said her husband also served six months as a mechanic with the Army Rangers in Mogadishu, Somalia, in 1992.

Family and friends remember Justin Pollard as a happy-go-lucky guy who would do anything to make his friends laugh. But he was about more than laughter, especially after Sept. 11, 2001.

"He became angry and decided that he would not just talk, but act," said family friend Terry Collins.

Pollard, 21, of Foothill Ranch, Calif., was killed Dec. 30 in Iraq.

Because of his death, Veterans Day will forever be different for everyone who knew Pollard, said Saddleback Church Pastor Bob Baker.

"The concept of liberty takes on a new meaning because we now understand the price," he said.

The soldier's father, Bill Pollard, said he misses his son greatly. "But I also know he's going to be 21, be an American soldier, and be a hero the rest of my life. In some way, that gives me comfort."

During a two-week leave over Christmas, relatives tried to talk Larry E. Polley Jr. into quitting the military after he finished his current hitch.

But Polley said he wanted to retire from the Army.

"He told me, 'I'll be back,' said Larry Earl Polley Sr.

Polley, 20, of Center, Texas, was killed Jan. 17 when a roadside bomb detonated north of Baghdad. He was stationed at Fort Hood.

Polly was outgoing and active, his father said, and enjoyed fishing, video games and computers.

He is survived by his wife, Sebrena Polley, and three children.

Darrin K. Potter was outspoken, competitive, caring and intelligent, said Cheri Collett, a Louisville, Ky., police officer who trained at the police academy with him.

"He was one of the smartest in the class," she said. "We would always go to him with questions."

But what struck her most was his caring nature. Collett said she couldn't run well because she injured her knee, but Potter wouldn't let her quit: "He ran the last laps with me, cheering me on to finish," she said.

On Sept. 29, the 24-year-old soldier was in a Humvee that plunged into a canal in Baghdad while responding to a mortar attack. Potter was swept away by the swift currents and drowned. Another soldier died while trying to rescue him.

Potter had joined a National Guard police unit because of his interest in law enforcement, his father said.

"I think he was very content," David Potter said. "He was a military man, he knew his mission and he went there to do a job. He was very positive in his outlook."

James E. Powell had called his wife, Ruby, in early October to say he'd be home in six days. Ruby Powell says it was the only promise he ever broke.

"When I found out he died, I died," she said. "I'll never tell another man 'I love you' and be able to mean it."

Fellow soldiers said Powell had volunteered for a combat mission even though he was due for home leave. The 26-year-old soldier based at Fort Hood died Oct. 12 when his Bradley armored vehicle struck a land mine north of Tikrit.

Powell enlisted in the Navy in his hometown of Columbus, Ohio, and served from 1997 to 2000 as a seaman apprentice on the USS Arctic. He joined the Army in 2001 in Radcliff, Ky. He hoped to join the state police in Kentucky after his current tour ended.

Despite her grief, Ruby Powell was proud because her husband knew what it meant to be a soldier.

"She mentioned to me that even if he had known what would happen, he still would have went," said Capt. Matt Weber.

In his last letter home, Kelley S. Prewitt told his dad it wouldn't be long before he'd be asking for an important favor.

"He said he'd be calling me soon from the airport to please pick him up and please bring him his car," Steve Prewitt said.

Prewitt, 24, of Birmingham, Ala., was killed in action on April 6, two years after he enlisted and was assigned to Fort Benning.

Jeff Estes, Prewitt's high school soccer coach, remembered Prewitt's wisecracks on the soccer field. "He was just a good kid," he said.

Prewitt said his son liked to ride his personal watercraft on Lake Logan Martin, where they owned a mobile home.

"He loved the lake and he loved the outdoors," he said.

Jaror C. Puello-Coronado, his wife and three children moved to Pennsylvania from Jersey City, N.J., following the Sept. 11 attacks.

"We saw the World Trade Center burning from our bedroom window," Sandra Puello said. "We decided it was time to get out of there."

Puello-Coronado, 36, of Pocono Summit, Pa., was sent to Iraq in April. A military policeman based in Uniondale, N.Y., he died July 13 when hit by a speeding dump truck after he pushed another soldier out of its path, Sandra Puello said.

"He saved someone else's life," she said.

Puello-Coronado was born in the Dominican Republic and moved with his family to Brooklyn, N.Y., as a young boy. He served in the Army, either on active duty or in the reserves, for more than half his life.

"He loved being a soldier," said Ana Puello, his older sister. "The only consolation we have is that he died doing something he loved, something he enjoyed."

Michael Quinn was an "all-American boy" who helped raise sheep in high school, then enlisted in the Army to pay for college. He turned out to become a career Army man.

"He was a gung-ho soldier," said stepfather Peter Folgner.

Quinn, 37, of Tampa, Fla., and stationed at Fort Carson, died May 27 at a checkpoint shooting in Iraq.

"He would put his heart and soul into whatever he was doing," said his mother, Sally Quinn Taylor.

Folgner said Quinn planned to retire in four years and then move to Mississippi, where he hoped to become a military instructor. He is survived by his wife, Melissa, and 9-year-old son.

"He fought for our freedom, that we would have less danger from terrorists, and he was killed by terrorists, not soldiers," Folgner said.

When Richard Ramey was a third-grader, a teacher asked him what he wanted to do when he grew up. He replied: "I'll go to war and fight."

"The teacher called and was a little alarmed and I said, 'No, that's my son,'" recalled his mother, Julie Ramey.

"Since we were kids, every Halloween he was either Rambo or some other type of soldier," childhood friend Brian Shurtz said.

Ramey, 27, of Canton, Ohio, was killed Feb. 8 in Mahmudiyah, Iraq, when insurgents attacked with explosives. He was assigned to Fort Knox, and was looking forward to an assignment in Alaska beginning in late March, said his father, Jerry Ramey.

"Richard loved to do his job. No matter where it would take him," Julia Ramey said. "He really felt deeply that he wanted to protect people that couldn't protect themselves."

Eric Ramirez was a Star Wars fan whom fellow guardsmen called one of his unit's most valuable soldiers and a "Jedi in his time."

Ramirez, 31, of San Diego, was killed when his unit was attacked Feb. 12 while on patrol about 30 miles west of Baghdad. His Army National Guard unit was based in National City, Calif.

Anthony Puente, who was the best man at Ramirez's wedding, remembered throwing Ramirez a Star Wars-themed party for his 27th birthday because his friend loved the movie.

Brig. Gen. James Combs, deputy adjutant general for the California National Guard, said Ramirez had shown the qualities of the movie heroes he admired.

"He strapped on his laser sword for America," Combs said. "He was, without question, a Jedi in his time."

Ramirez grew up in the Orlando, Fla., area. Survivors include his wife, Tracy Benson-Ramirez, a 2-year-old daughter and a son who was born in December.

William C. Ramirez was a practical joker who liked to eat candy and leave the wrapper behind so it looked like something was still inside of it.

"You knew, if you opened it and found nothing, William had been there," said his mother, Maria Buscho.

Ramirez, 20, of Portland, Ore., was killed Feb. 11 by a roadside bomb while on mounted patrol in Baghdad. He was assigned to Fort Polk.

His parents said he did not fit in at school and attended two high schools before dropping out. But Ramirez liked to draw and dreamed of becoming an engineer, so he earned his GED and entered the service in 2002.

"He had his mind made up," Buscho said. "I wanted him to finish school and pursue a career. But he made his own decisions and as a mother you are very proud of that."

His parents said soldiers jokingly referred to their son as the "permanent designated driver" because he always made sure everyone made it home after a night out.

"He was the type of person who always made a point of taking care of others," his mother said.

Tamarra J. Ramos was serving in Egypt in support of U.S. efforts in Iraq when she was diagnosed with cancer.

The 24-year-old combat medic from Quakertown, Pa., was evacuated to Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington, where she died Oct. 1.

In a statement released by her unit, Ramos' fellow soldiers said she had "touched many lives, especially in the regiment with her drive and dedication."

She served in the same unit as her husband, Eric, a medical specialist.

Brandon Ramsey joined the Illinois National Guard for the education perks, not to fight a war. But the 21-year-old answered the call to duty without fear, his older brother said.

"As far as leaving, there was no way out of it," said Vaughn Ramsey. "(Brandon) was never one to back away from a challenge."

Brandon Ramsey died Aug. 8 in Tallil, Iraq, when his vehicle rolled over while chasing a suspicious vehicle.

After getting word of his death, Ramsey's large extended family gathered at his home in Calumet City, just like they often did for his calls from Iraq. His family said he was a talented artist who had become a part-time soldier to pay for a planned college education.

"He told us he was safe. He never gave us details," Vaughn Ramsey said. "He didn't want us to worry."

Edmond L. Randle was looked up to as a role model by his younger sister and cousins. He always did what he had to do, studied and stayed out of trouble.

"I hate to keep saying perfect, but he was the perfect kid, and that bothers me because I wonder why he had to be the one," said his mother, Karla Randle-West.

Randle, 26, of Miami, was killed Jan. 17 in an explosion on a road near Taji, north of Baghdad. He graduated from high school in Miami in 1995 and was based at Forth Hood.

Randle, a trumpet player and avid video game-head, attended Florida A&M University in Tallahassee, Fla., on a music scholarship but later chose pharmacy studies. For four months, he worked as a Delta Airlines baggage clerk to help pay his tuition and expenses.

He was worried before going to Iraq, but soon became enthusiastic about helping people there, his loved ones said.

"He used to tell his mom how Iraqi kids came up and asked for something, anything, to eat," said his uncle, William McKnight.

Army Spc. Rel A. Ravago IV was considering studying art when he decided to enlist.

"When he was 7, he was already painting really nice watercolors," said his uncle, also named Rel Revago. "We were so proud, we would frame them."

Ravago, 21, of Glendale, Calif., and stationed at Fort Campbell, was killed Nov. 23 when his vehicle was attacked in Mosul, Iraq.

A day earlier, Ravago was online wishing his mother a happy birthday. He told her he had met a Filipina who worked in the Army mess hall.

"He was asking his mom to teach him something in Tagalog so he could impress the girl," his uncle said. "We were all teasing and laughing about it."

Aaron T. Reese came from a family with a long military history: His grandfather served during World War II and an uncle was killed in Vietnam. Two other uncles also served in the military. So it wasn't a surprise when he joined the Army shortly after his 1990 high school graduation.

"He's one of those you can't forget," said his former Latin teacher, Mike Herzog. "Always working hard, always smiling. He didn't have a bad day. He was always in a positive mood."

Reese, 31, of Reynoldsburg, Ohio, died Dec. 10 after falling into the Tigris River during a patrol near Baghdad. Reese had served seven years in the Army and then six in the National Guard.

Survivors include his wife, a 5-year-old son and a daughter who is almost 1.

"Aaron was a loving husband, son, father and brother. He loved doing his job and serving his country," said his sister, April Engstrom. "He felt that it was his duty to serve and he loved the soldiers in his squad."

Brendon Reiss finished a four-year stint in the military last August but decided to stay on for another year. Angela Reiss last spoke to her son when he shipped out in January.

"He said he had some anxiety about this and didn't want to leave his wife," she said, but felt duty-bound to go wherever the Marines sent him.

Reiss, 23, originally from Hanna and Casper, Wyo., was killed March 23 with other members of his Camp Lejeune unit as they came under attack.

Angela Reiss said she was at peace with her son's death.

"He died early so he didn't see too much horror," she said. "He's not going to have to experience the trauma of the war."

Reiss' wife, Tensley Reiss, lives with her family near Chattanooga, Tenn.

As a career military man, Randy Rehn believed in what he did and never expressed fear about going into war. But he also yearned for the day he could return home to his wife and infant daughter.

"I hope this is the last time I'm leaving my family for so long," he wrote in a letter before the war started. "See ya' in August," he concluded.

Rehn, 36, a Longmont, Colo., native based at Fort Sill, died April 3 in combat.

He leaves his wife, Raelynn Rehn, and 7-month-old daughter, Megan.

"She's quiet and she looks just like her daddy," Raelynn Rehn said.

Joe Rehn described his brother as a prankster who loved to golf and hunt.

"He was very outgoing, a joker and always looking for somebody to play a practical joke on," he said.

Ramon Reyes Torres was the pride of his grandfather, who was a soldier for 24 years and died in June.

"His military career was very important to him," said Ramon's brother, Carlos Reyes. "He was the only military grandson that Carmelo Reyes had."

Reyes, 29, of Caguas, Puerto Rico, died July 16 in a rocket-propelled grenade attack in Iraq. He was buried in the family tomb, next to his grandfather.

Carlos Reyes described his brother as a "tremendous person, a humble man, hardworking, very dedicated to his work."

Reyes, who enlisted when he was 18 and was based at Roosevelt Roads Naval Station, is survived by a wife and three children.

To Sean Reynolds, serving as an Army Ranger was a way to help people in need. Although his family was adamantly anti-war when he enlisted right after high school, they understood what drove him.

"He wanted to fight for people's justices no matter who they were," said his older brother, Kevin. "He said, 'You may not agree with me politically, but give me a chance.'"

Reynolds, 25, of East Lansing, Mich., and based in Italy, died May 3 in a weapon accident in Iraq.

"He was a good man," said his sister Kathleen, 19. "He believed in protecting our country."

Staff Sgt. Chad Everett, who served with Reynolds for nearly six years, called the soldier one of the best friends he will ever have.

"He gave his all for the Rangers, was very motivated and disciplined and cared a lot about his soldiers and his job."

Growing up, Ariel Rico and his older brother, Jose "Bobby" Rico, were a pretty powerful combination.

Ariel "was in every sport you can think of, a great athlete just like his brother. He was always following in Jose's footsteps," said Richard Lucero, a longtime friend. "After Jose went into the Army, Ariel followed him."

Rico, 25, was killed Nov. 28 in a mortar attack in Mosul, Iraq. He was based at Fort Campbell.

Rico attended schools in El Paso, Texas, and married his high school sweetheart, Jessica. The couple had a 7-year-old daughter, Jadelyn. He was due home in March, and talked about a law enforcement career.

"I'm sad and angry because I feel like it's unfair that he was taken so soon," his wife said. "But I am very proud of him, and he was very proud of what he did."

Diego Fernando Rincon, who moved to the United States at age 5 from his native Colombia, told friends and family members he enlisted with the military to avenge the Sept. 11 attacks and protect the country.

"I believe God has a path for me," the 19-year-old from Conyers, Ga., wrote in his last letter to his mother. "Whether I make it or not, it's all part of the plan. It can't be changed, only completed."

Rincon, based at Fort Stewart, died March 29 in a suicide bombing attack.

High school friends remembered him as a high-spirited person who was active in cheerleading, gymnastics and drama. He acted in "A Piece of My Heart," a play depicting four Vietnam War soldiers. Of the four, only Rincon's character dies.

"All four guys really got involved and really developed a perspective into the commitment that soldiers make to their country," said Leslie Stewart, and English and drama teacher.

While stunned by his death, people who knew Russell B. Rippetoe weren't surprised to learn of the way he died.

"It was Rusty running to help. He was always there for you," said Jim Mason, a neighbor of the Rippetoe family in Arvada, Colo.

Rippetoe, 27, based at Fort Benning, was among soldiers killed April 3 when a car exploded at a checkpoint in Iraq. The soldiers approached the car after a woman stepped out and screamed.

"He was very outgoing, strong, sensitive, a person you always wanted to be around. He made you feel good," Mason said.

In ROTC at Metro State College in Denver, Rippetoe was a natural leader.

"At 5 in the morning he had a smile on his face and was ready for a workout," said Capt. Steve Walker, who recruited him.

When Duane Rios walked into a room, the atmosphere would change.

"He had a smile that would just brighten up the room. It just affected everyone," said George Shawn Jr., an uncle of Rios' wife, Erica. "He was always there for somebody who needed help."

Rios, 25, of Griffith, Ind., and stationed at Camp Pendleton, was killed April 4 in a suicide attack.

Duane and Erica Rios were high school classmates and married in 1998, a year before he joined the Marines. Erica Rios said she last spoke with her husband on Feb. 15 her birthday.

"He told me he loved me, that he wanted to come home and he wanted to take a shower," she said. "He was a great guy. He was like a friend. He was a wonderful husband."

Rios, she said, was where he wanted to be: "He did his job with pride because it was something that he felt was right."

Jose A. Rivera had a serious work ethic. As an Army recruiter, he would try to sign up new soldiers while on vacation. And Rivera always insisted that his stepson, Orlando, finish his schoolwork before the two of them played basketball.

"He really wasn't a stepdad," said Orlando, 18. "He was a dad. I learned more from him than anybody else."

Rivera, 34, was killed Nov. 5 when his patrol came under fire south of Baghdad. He was based at Fort Bragg.

Rivera was born in Barranquitas, Puerto Rico, where he lived until he was 19. He joined the Army in 1990 and had worked as a recruiter in New York City.

He is survived by his wife, Sonia, a daughter and a son.

John T. Rivero told loved ones in a letter that he had hurt his ankle while serving in Iraq but said he didn't mention it to medics because he was afraid of being removed from his assignment.

"He knew he was doing a good thing and he really felt strongly about what he was doing," said Rivero's sister, Terese Strickland, 28, of Gainesville, Fla.

Rivero, 23, a National Guard infantryman from Gainesville, died April 17 in a vehicle accident in Iraq.

"He felt like he was making the world a better place," said his mother, Patti Gardham of Cambridge, Ontario. "He was always happy and smiling. He was the center of our lives."

Rivero was born in at Warner-Robbins Air Force Base in Georgia. He grew up in Gainesville and enlisted in the National Guard in 1998. He studied computer science and engineering at the University of South Florida in Tampa and spent a semester on the Bulls' cheerleading squad before being deployed in January.

Thomas D. Robbins loved the outdoors and after camping and hiking in the woods, always returned home with trash he picked up on the trail.

His mother said Robbins was a talented artist and had been in Iraq less than three months when he died.

"He believed he was helping people and was working at learning the Iraqi language, just as he had learned Korean and studied the culture when he was stationed in Korea," said Charlene Robbins.

Robbins, 27, of Schenectady, N.Y., died Feb. 9 when rocket-propelled grenades and mortar rounds blew up while being moved to a detonation site in Sinjar, Iraq. He was assigned to Fort Lewis.

Robbins earned an associate degree in environmental sciences at Morrisville State College. In the Army, he resumed his college studies and was two credits short of a bachelor's degree.

Robbins is survived by his wife, Gina, and their infant daughter, Marisa.

During the 1991 Gulf War, Todd James Robbins served in the Navy. This time around, he was with the Army.

"He always, always wanted to be in the Army," said his father, Dale. "He lived, ate and slept the Army. He just loved it."

Robbins, 33, a Hart, Mich., native stationed at Fort Sill, died in combat April 3. He is survived by his wife and 13-year-old son.

"He is a true hero," said his mother, Anne Marie. "He was a true soldier and I don't want people to forget it. They forget the little ones."

The same day she learned of her husband's death in Iraq, Jill Roberts received three cards in the mail from him two for their 3-year-old son Jacob. In one card, Robert Roberts told his son to "take care of Mommy until Daddy gets home."

"Bobby went into the Army to be sure he could provide for his son, and he always did provide for us," Jill Roberts said.

Roberts, 21, of Winter Park, Fla., died Nov. 22 when his vehicle was crushed by a tank during a night mission in Baghdad. His unit had been based in Hanau, Germany, before being sent to Iraq.

Roberts played high school football, and worked at an Italian restaurant and as a carpenter before enlisting. His brother returned home from serving in Iraq in August.

"We want him remembered as the hero he was," said Jill Roberts, 20. "He was very proud of the job he was doing."

Joseph E. Robsky Jr. became a specialist in defusing bombs to help save civilians from the horrors of war.

"He was in Bosnia," said his mother, Bonnie Robsky. "He saw children with their arms and legs off, and he said that if he could prevent any of that from happening, he would."

Robsky, 31, who grew up in Elizaville, N.Y., died Sept. 10 when a bomb he was trying to disable exploded. He went to Iraq a year ago after spending two years at Fort Irwin.

Robsky served with the Marines for four years after graduating from high school. He was in the Reserves before joining the Army.

"I'm proud of him and loved him very much," his mother said. "I knew that he was happy with what he did. He always loved life and always wanted to help."

Marlin Rockhold's family hadn't been worried about him after an end to major combat was declared because they believed the end of the war meant more safety for the troops in Iraq.

"We had just received a letter from him the same day we got the news of his death and he was so excited about coming home soon," said his uncle, Kevin Henderson of Hamilton, Ohio.

Rockhold, 23, who was based at Fort Stewart, was killed May 8 by a sniper attack in Baghdad. He is survived by his wife, DaVonna, and was the stepfather of her 8-year-old child.

Henderson, 34, said his nephew was like a little brother. They were raised together by Eileen Henderson, who is Henderson's mother and Rockhold's grandmother.

"Marlin was kind of quiet and shy, but he loved to joke around when he was with someone he knew well," Henderson said. "We are all so very proud of him."

As the baby in a family of five children, Robert M. Rodriguez thought he might make a career out of the Marines or pursue a career in law enforcement. He loved jogging and lifting weights, and never smoked or ate junk food.

"He loved the Marines," his sister Hyda Hernandez-Lopez said. "We were all so very proud of him. He was our hero."

Rodriguez, 21, of New York, based at Twentynine Palms, Calif., was killed March 25 when the tank he was in plunged off a bridge.

One of his several tattoos depicted the Puerto Rican flag. Others included the raising of the American flag at Iwo Jima, firefighters raising the flag at ground zero after Sept. 11 and the amaryllis flower, which was also his mother's name.

"He wanted to keep her close to his heart," Hernandez-Lopez said.

Jose F. Gonzalez Rodriguez was the kind of student all his teachers liked to remember. A Mexican immigrant, Rodriguez was an honor student, an athlete and someone who seldom missed a high school event.

"He really enjoyed all of that," said Linda Granillo, the school principal. "We remember him dancing at all the school dances. He was very well-liked."

Rodriguez, 19, of Norwalk, Calif., died May 12 along with another Marine when ordnance they were handling exploded.

Rodriguez played third base on the baseball team and liked wearing his John Glenn Eagles baseball cap at school. He came from a large and very supportive family, Granillo said, and was recruited by the Marines just after high school.

"The military is a good opportunity," Granillo said. "But you hate to lose kids from your school this way."

Robert E. Rooney's passion was following the NASCAR circuit and his favorite driver, Jeff Gordon. While he was stationed in Kuwait, a friend taped the races and sent them to him.

"Jeff Gordon was his idol," his wife, Diane, said. "He has so much (Gordon) stuff in this house, it's not funny. That's pretty much all we would buy him for Christmas."

Rooney, 43, was killed Sept. 25 in a forklift accident in Kuwait, where he had been stationed with his Massachusetts National Guard unit based in Bourne, Mass.

A longtime resident of Plymouth, Mass., Rooney was deployed with his unit to Kuwait in January. Before that, he worked at Otis Air Force Base and Camp Edwards, both on Cape Cod, most recently as an operational maintenance shop chief.

Besides his wife, survivors include two sons and a daughter.

Diane Rooney said her husband had a knack for ending their rare disagreements on a humorous note.

"He'd just give me a kiss and say, 'Apology accepted,'" she said. "I couldn't stay mad at him."

During high school, Randal Kent Rosacker decorated his bedroom in red, white and blue and painted the colors of the flag on his first car. When he turned 18, he had an American flag tattooed on his arm and joined the Marines, turning down scholarships to play college football.

"He just wanted to do something for his country and that's what he did," said his father, Navy Command Master Chief Rod Rosacker.

The Camp Lejeune-based Rosacker, 21, died in combat March 23.

Rosacker, raised in San Diego, where his wife, Brooke, still lives, was not just a fervent patriot. He was fiercely protective of his two younger sisters and devoted to his family.

"He was my mentor he taught me to be proud to be an American, he taught me to be thankful I am free, he taught me to be proud to be me," Rosacker's sister Samantha wrote in a poem.

When his daughter was born on July 31, Scott C. Rose couldn't hold her. But a Web camera allowed the soldier, serving in Iraq, to watch Megan Louise fussing and cooing thousands of miles away at Fort Campbell.

Rose was looking forward to his next assignment teaching crew chiefs in Fort Eustis, Va., he would be able to meet Megan Louise in person and be near his wife.

Rose, 30, of Fayetteville, N.C., died Nov. 7 when the Black Hawk helicopter he was riding crashed near Tikrit, Iraq.

Michele Rose had found a perfect Southern gentleman in Scott, her mother, Paula Basso, said, describing him as friendly, thoughtful and quiet. The couple met at North Carolina State University.

"I could not be more proud of a son," said his father, retired Lt. Col. Alfred "Butch" Rose. "When I looked at what he did, I could not have done what he did. He was better than me."

When Randy S. Rosenberg's wife, Misty, left New Hampshire to be with her husband at Fort Hood, she told her worried sister nothing could go wrong.

"I know it will work because I found my true soul mate," Melissa Boucher recalled her sister said.

"He had the ability to make anyone laugh or smile even at his own expense," Boucher said of her brother-in-law.

The couple was married for about 18 months when the 23-year-old was killed by a car bomb in Khaldiyah, Iraq, on Jan. 24. The Berlin, N.H., native was stationed at Fort Hood.

"To my knowledge, Randy had no fear," William Gemitti said of his grandson, whom he remembered as "a big, husky fellow" and a great fly-fisher, liked by all.

When the soldier was growing up, he often went fishing and hunting with his grandfather. Later, when he followed in the veteran's steps and went to war, the two wrote letters frequently to stay close.

"He was a good boy," Gemitti said.

Brandon Rowe joined the Army to help pay for college but found a mission and grew into a man.

"I was so amazed at how he grew and the strength that he had. He was so proud of what he accomplished," said his mother, Wendy Borowski, who had figured Brandon was the least likely of her four children to join the service.

Rowe, 20, of Roscoe, Ill., and based at Fort Campbell, was killed March 31 in combat.

"He was a very caring, sensitive person," Borowski said. "He was always smiling. Everybody liked him because he was just fun to be around."

Rowe's father, Milton Rowe of Elkhorn City, Ky., said he had once tried to talk his son out of joining the 101st Airborne Division.

"I said 'Son, why don't you join one of the other services,'" Rowe said. "He said 'Dad, somebody has got to do the dirty, hard work.'"

Roger D. Rowe loved nothing more than spending time with his four children and seven grandchildren at home in Bon Aqua, Tenn. Second on the list was working with wood he'd planned to build a large clubhouse for his grandchildren when he got back from Iraq.

Then Rowe, 54, was killed July 9 by a sniper near Baghdad while serving with the National Guard.

"He had a job to do and he was ready to do anything they asked," said his daughter Regina McCrory. "But in one of the last letters I got, he said he was getting too old for this. I think the heat was getting to him."

A small wooden sign in front of his house shows where Rowe's heart was: "Grandma and Grandpa's House," the sign says. "Hugs and Kisses. Love and Laughter. Candy and Cookies."

Almost all his family members live in the Bon Aqua area and gather almost every weekend at Rowe's house.

"His grandkids and his family were his whole world," James Merrick, a co-worker at Shiloh Industries. "He was always talking about the tree house or the swing set he was building for the kids."

Jonathan D. Rozier won a Bronze Star for valor in Iraq fitting for a young man who planned to spend the rest of his working life in the military.

"There were no limits to his aspirations," said his father, David Rozier of Katy, Texas. "He wanted to have a career in the military, clear through to retirement."

Rozier, 25, died July 19 when his unit was attacked in Baghdad. He was stationed at Fort Riley.

"He loved the Army, he loved everything about it he knew it was a cause worth fighting and dying for," said Jimmy Parker, a family friend.

Rozier graduated from Texas A&M University in 2001 with a degree in economics and also married that year. He is survived by his wife, Jessica, and 9-month-old son, Justin.

He last talked with his wife the day before he was killed.

"We thank God that she had the opportunity to talk with him and that they had the opportunity to talk about the future," his father said.

Friends remember John W. Russell as a popular and charming jokester.

"Anyone who ever met John saw he was so full of life," said April Fielder-Clark, who had known Russell since she was 3. "I don't know too many people who have as many friends as John. No one was safe from his jokes, but it was all in good fun."

Russell, 26, of Portland, Texas, died Nov. 15 when two Black Hawk helicopters collided in Iraq. He was based at Fort Campbell.

Gen. Jack Gardner presented Russell's parents and wife with a Bronze Star during his funeral.

"He distinguished himself as a selfless soldier," Gardner said. "His company commander said he was a very talented guy, who was highly respected and highly liked by everyone."

A music major in college, Timothy Louis Ryan joined the Marines to play percussion in the U.S. Marine Drum and Bugle Corps, an elite ensemble also known as The Commandant's Own. Judith Ryan said her son loved traveling with the corps to Paris and all over the United States.

He also found a new love in the Marines: flying. This was something of a surprise to his mother.

"He said he would love to fly things, but when he was a kid he said he would like to be a chef, too, so who knew?" she said.

Ryan, 30, of Aurora, was one of four Camp Pendleton-based Marines who died in a helicopter crash May 19 in Iraq. He is survived by his wife, Michelle.

Will Lahvic, who was in the high school band with Ryan and followed him to Illinois State University, called his friend an "honest, straightforward guy" and talented musician.

"He was into drumming, but he fell in love with flying helicopters, too," Lahvic said. "He died doing something that he truly wanted to be doing."

Scott Saboe grew up in the South Dakota town of Willow Lake, where a group of his high school friends recently sent him a card in Iraq.

"I wrote to him, said I'm very proud of him and everything that they've done," farmer Curwin Bratland said. "I said I hope he gets back, and we'll have a cold one together."

The 33-year-old Saboe was one of 17 soldiers who died when two Black Hawk helicopters collided Nov. 15 in Iraq.

Saboe joined the Army in 1989 and was based at Fort Campbell. Survivors include his wife, Franceska, and their 6-year-old son, Dustin.

Saboe "was giving his all and believing what he was doing," said Darin Michalski, a childhood friend. "That's what makes me most proud of him.

"Most of us can go through our whole lives and don't really accomplish anything, and some of us only live to be 33, and we're heroes."

Rasheed Sahib nicknamed Smiley by his younger cousins and friends was known as a big-hearted guy who was hoping the military would be a stepping stone to a better life in America.

Sahib's family came to the United States from Guyana in 1988, and his sister Nafeeza said he dreamed of going to college and becoming an FBI agent.

"He did it (join the military) so it could help him more in life," said Nafeeza, 18. "He really wanted the training."

Sahib, 22, of Brooklyn, N.Y., and based at Fort Hood, was killed May 18 in Iraq when another soldier's gun discharged while he was cleaning it.

Sahib's relatives and friends said they last heard from him in late March, just before his deployment to the Middle East.

"He called me before he left and he told me how he was scared," said Amitt Permaul, 18, Sahib's best friend.

When Alan Anderson's mother died five years ago, Matthew Saltz spent nearly every minute of his holiday break consoling him.

"He had a heart of gold," Anderson said. "Basically, he would do anything for anybody."

Saltz, 27, of Bigfork, Mont., died Dec. 22 in the explosion of a roadside bomb in Baghdad. He was stationed in Germany.

Anderson, a family friend, said Saltz joined the Army to repay his obligation for receiving a college education. But once in the service, Saltz became committed and was seriously considering a career in the Army.

"He stood up for what he believed in," Anderson said. "And he believed in what we're trying to do over there."

Saltz went to Montana State University on an ROTC scholarship and earned a degree in business. During summers while he was in college, he worked as a firefighter for the Flathead National Forest.

Survivors include his parents, Richard and Cathy Saltz of Bigfork.

When he took to the skies in his Cobra helicopter, Benjamin Sammis was realizing his boyhood dream. He was all of 10 when he discovered he wanted to be a pilot.

"Our son ... loved to fly and loved the Corps as much as life itself," Steve and Beth Sammis said in a statement. "We will be forever proud of him and the character he held so true."

Sammis, 29, of Rehoboth, Mass., and stationed at Camp Pendleton, died April 4 in a helicopter crash.

Sammis was a 1996 graduate of The Citadel, where he majored in civil engineering. Family friend Bruce Morris said Sammis also flew jets for the military.

Sammis and his wife, Stacey Sammis, had been married about a year and a half.

"Sometimes in life you are lucky enough to find and marry your best friend," Stacey Sammis said. "Ben and I were that lucky. Ben is the most gentle, loving and kind man. He loved flying and he loved his country."

Gregory P. Sanders, the son of a Navy sailor, was enamored with military life since he was very young.

Sanders began wearing combat fatigues at age 2, his uncle Rick Knight said. In his junior year in high school, where he ran track and cross country, he committed to joining the Army immediately after graduation.

Sanders, 19, of Hobart, Ind., and based at Fort Stewart, was killed in sniper fire March 24. He was married, with a 14-month-old daughter.

"Greg Sanders was a soldier given the opportunity to pursue his dreams," said his aunt, Lynn VanMeter. "There was never any doubt that being a soldier was what he was meant to do with his life. We remember him dressed in Army fatigues, playing with toy tanks and soldiers."

"He wanted to be a soldier. He was born to be soldier," said his mother, Leslie Sanders.

Cameron B. Sarno was full of energy. After driving a truck all day, he would drop by to see his aunt and the two would talk late into the night. And his enthusiasm for the Reserves was boundless.

"He was gung-ho," said his aunt, Nancy Gurdison. "He really believed he should do something for his country."

Sarno, 43, of Las Vegas, was killed Sept. 1 while changing a flat tire on a transport truck in Kuwait City, Kuwait. He had 19 years of combined active and Reserve duty in the Army.

Sarno, a native of Hawaii, joined the military soon after graduating from high school, following in the footsteps of his late father. Sarno's son, Cameron Bryan "B.J." Takeuchi, served in Afghanistan.

"He always had a smile on his face," said Spc. Anthony Grimando. "There wasn't anything he wouldn't do for anybody. He was selfless."

Scott D. Sather was a quiet professional, a Special Forces combat controller who liked to be the "do" man.

"He'd basically go out, take care of matters," said Staff Sgt. Michael Bain. "Even if he wasn't asked to do it, he would just go out and do it anyway, just to make sure things got done."

Sather, 29, of Clio, Mich., and based at Pope Air Force Base, was killed in combat April 8.

"He was well-loved in the community," said his uncle, state Rep. John Gleason. "He was just a great person."

Sather was married and often talked about his plans to build a home, Bain said. Another love was riding and working on his Harley-Davidson motorcycle.

Special Forces combat controllers like Sather are called on to set up makeshift runways almost anywhere in the world and are trained in parachuting, scuba diving and air traffic control.

It's a demanding job, but Sather was "very relaxed, always at ease," Bain said.

Mathew E. Schram grew up wanting to be a soldier, and joined ROTC in college before enlisting in the Army in 1989. He and his girlfriend, also an Army major, thought nothing about it when he was shipped out to the Middle East in April.

"We thought it was over. I wasn't worried about him at all," said Kam Gunther, 34.

Schram, 36, of Brookfield, Wis., and stationed at Fort Carson, died May 26 when his convoy was ambushed.

"Mat might have been a little embarrassed by all the attention he got," his father, Earl Schram, said after his son was honored posthumously.

"He was kind of a modest man. He wouldn't tell somebody else to do something if he wasn't willing to do it himself."

The Rev. Daniel Pakenham said Schram lived by his principles.

"He set his mind on this and his heart and he lived by it," Pakenham said. "He lived by it to the extent he would give his life for it. That's eloquence."

As a youngster, Christian Schulz used to build tanks out of Legos and play video games involving tanks. Then, a childhood camping trip with the Boy Scouts to Fort Hood where he slept on the range and ate with soldiers sealed his dream of joining the military.

"I had no idea he had been smitten so badly at the time," said his father, Bob Schulz.

Schulz, a 20-year old armored crewman from Colleyville, Texas, was killed in Baqubah, Iraq, on July 11 by a non-hostile firearms discharge. He was stationed at Fort Hood.

He died on his father's 47th birthday.

Schulz joined the Army in June 2001 after studying aircraft engineering at the University of Texas at Arlington for a year.

"This kid was so adventurous," Bob Schulz said. "He had a fire lit under his belly, and he wanted to get started. He didn't want to sit in a classroom anymore."

He volunteered to serve on the front lines in Iraq and was determined to return home as a sergeant, his family said. He planned to serve in the military until age 35 and then pursue a career in government.

The first time David A. Scott joined the military, he was drafted into the Army to serve in Vietnam. But when he returned serving 12 years as a Marine and more than a decade in the Air Force Reserve it was by choice.

During the conflict in Iraq, he served at the U.S. Embassy in Doha, Qatar, helping to grant diplomatic clearances and ship equipment to the troops.

The 49-year-old assistant chief of information systems died July 20 of a brain aneurysm in Doha. The Union, Ohio, resident was based at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base.

"Everybody loved him," Debra Scott said of her husband, whom she called "a real nice guy."

He enjoyed watching football and making friendly bets with family members on NFL games, she said. He also liked hunting and fishing.

Kerry D. Scott loved to climb and hike in the Cascades near his home in northwest Washington. He liked to load his backpack and pockets with rocks when he hiked, to test his strength and endurance, and he hoped to one day hike the Pacific Crest Trail.

"He called to tell me how strong he was after the last few weeks of Army training," said his father, David Scott. "He was packing some muscle."

The 21-year-old soldier was killed Oct. 6 in Iskandariyah, Iraq, when a homemade bomb struck his convoy. He was based at Fort Drum.

Scott enlisted in the Army before he even finished high school in Concrete, Wash. He was mostly home-schooled, attending classes part-time at the high school and then an alternative school.

"He was a nontraditional, free-thinking kid," said school counselor Bill Krause.

Family members said the young soldier hoped one day to be a radiologist.

Stephen M. Scott and his wife went to high school together in Lawton, Okla., and both joined the military. They had recently celebrated their first anniversary.

"We talked about what we would do if something ever happened to one of us," said Marie Scott, 19. "I decided I would become a nun. There's just no other guy who can compete with him. He's perfect."

The 21-year-old Scott died Aug. 23 near Al Fallujah, Iraq, of a gunshot wound in a non-combat incident. His death was under investigation.

Scott was a cook and stationed at Fort Carson.

Marc S. Seiden had been thinking for a long time about joining the Army, but kept putting it off.

"Then 9-11 happened, and it hit him hard," said his girlfriend, Tricia Ferri. "He wanted to do something about it. That was the way he was. For him to deal with something, he had to just jump into the middle of it."

Seiden, a 26-year-old paratrooper from Brigantine, N.J., died Jan. 2 when his convoy was ambushed in Baghdad. He had been in Iraq for nine months, and died three weeks before his Fort Bragg-based unit was scheduled to come home.

"It's not natural. It's not what was supposed to happen," said Ferri, 22. "He had a lot of expectations for the future. That's what he was coming home to."

Seiden played soccer in high school and at Ramapo College, and then worked in constructing before enlisting in the Army seven months after the terrorist attacks.

Survivors include his parents, Jack and Gail Seiden.

Christopher Scott Seifert was known as a man who loved pranks and was always smiling.

"They said he could find the rainbow in any situation," said Howard Cooper, a former Marine who attended Seifert's funeral. "He just seemed to live a really full life in just 27 short years."

Seifert, 27, of Easton, Pa., was killed in a grenade attack March 22 at Camp Pennsylvania in Kuwait.

Seifert met his wife, Theresa, while attending Moravian College across from the church where his funeral was held. They were married four years ago at the adjacent chapel.

They have an infant son, Benjamin. Mrs. Seifert said her husband led "a remarkable life, ended too soon."

"We have just started to accept that Chris can only live in our hearts and be embodied in our memories," said Mark Drill, a cousin of Theresa Seifert. "He was proud to be an officer, and cared deeply for the family of soldiers under his watch."

Juan Manual Serrano's father who has the same name and Army rank as his son doesn't regret that his son joined the U.S. military.

"It was a good decision by him and all the other young people who put on this uniform," the elder Serrano said as the son was buried at the Puerto Rico National Cemetery.

But Serrano's mother, Marta Concepcion, said she doubted anything positive was coming out of the war, "only deaths." Her son, she said, "called me and said the Iraqi people did not want U.S. soldiers there."

Serrano, 31, of Manati, Puerto Rico, was changing a tire on a military Humvee July 24 in Iraq when the vehicle fell, striking his head and killing him.

Serrano's wife, Evelyn, said she would allow their two sons ages 3 and 8 months to decide whether they want to follow in their father's footsteps and join the military.

"I am proud to say he died there...that he was doing something, and did not die in vain," she said.

Anthony L. Sherman had been in the military for more than 20 years. He was eligible for retirement before he was deployed to Kuwait City in February, but his wife said he probably would never have left the military.

"He loved it," Lisa Ann Sherman said. "He was very good at what he did."

Sherman, 43, of Pottstown, Pa., died Aug. 27 of a non-combat injury. He is also survived by his 8-year-old son, Anthony Grant.

Sherman, a member of the Pottstown Pacers Running Club, had been deployed with the 304th Civil Affairs Brigade, based in Philadelphia. Family friend Monica Weister said a part of Sherman's job was to make sure hospitals and other public buildings were being taken care of correctly.

James Shull was an unusual young man: As a teenager, he was deemed trustworthy enough to drive a borrowed Porsche on prom night.

"He was the hardest worker I've ever seen," said Ray Linford, a neighbor and the owner of the Porsche in question. "I used to tell him to take it easy, he was working so hard."

Shull, 32, died in Baghdad Nov. 17 of a non-hostile gunshot wound.

He graduated from Washington State University with a degree in criminal justice before enlisting in the Army in 1996. He served in Kuwait and Korea, and was most recently based at Fort Riley.

He was a passionate WSU Cougar fan. His wife even sent a VCR to Iraq so that he could watch taped Cougar football games, along with home movies of his kids.

"James was such a loving person," said his brother, Brad Shull. "He wanted to create good in this world and really cared about all people."

Survivors include his wife, Alice, and children: Ashley, 7, Jacob, 5, and Alisa, 1.

The last time Erik H. Silva visited his hometown of Holtville, Calif., he attended the town's annual carrot festival and got a special blessing from his 72-year-old grandmother.

Rebeca Silva kissed him and said a prayer with him, relatives recalled.

"He valued my mom's blessing very much," said his aunt Elvira Silva.

Silva, 23, died in combat April 3.

The youngest of four children, Silva played the trumpet, was a drum major and played on the varsity golf team in high school.

"He joined the Marines mainly because he wanted to pursue a career in law enforcement. The best way to do that is to join the military," said his brother, Isaac Silva, 28.

When Silva last returned home in late January, Isaac Silva said he and his brother had a sobering talk, acknowledging the risks of war.

"It wasn't the normal, 'Hey bro, let's go have a few beers'," he said. "It was a very serious, deep conversation and it needed to be done."

Before he joined the Army, Sean Silva researched the job options and signed up with a description in hand of the work he wanted to do. Silva was a cavalry scout, going on reconnaissance missions.

"He wanted to be out doing things. He told us he didn't want to be sitting behind a desk," said Sgt. 1st Class Timothy Sloan of the Army's Roseville, Calif., recruiting office.

The 23-year-old Silva, who grew up in El Sobrante, Calif., and lived in Roseville, was one of two soldiers killed in Baghdad on Oct. 9 in what the military said was an ambush. He was based at Fort Polk.

Silva's father, Richard, said he tried to talk his son out of enlisting, and his mother, Shirley Cowan, said she worried that he was dispatched to Iraq within weeks of boot camp.

"But as far as he was concerned, he said, 'Mom, I'm ready," she said.

Leonard D. Simmons joined the Army in 1990 and was a Gulf War veteran.

Simmons, 33, died Aug. 6 in Mosul, Iraq. Army officials told his family he suffered a heat-related seizure.

He was based at Fort Campbell and is survived by his wife, Rosemarie Duran Simmons, and three stepchildren of Clarksville, Tenn.

Simmons grew up in New Bern, N.C., and attended Craven Community College.

A family member said Simmons was a chemical operations specialist.

Charles M. Sims set his sights on the Army in the ninth grade, enrolling in the Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps.

He enlisted after high school in Miami and was sent to Fort Stewart, where he served as a military police officer.

Sims, 18, drowned in a Baghdad swimming pool Oct. 3, said his mother, Andreta Horne-Hester. She said he was in the pool when he choked on a piece of candy.

He would have turned 19 on Oct. 20.

"My baby was a sweet, brilliant child. Everybody loved him," Horne-Hester said.

Uday Singh was not yet a citizen of the United States when he died fighting for the country. The India-born soldier had written his uncle from Iraq with the happy news that he would return to the United States to be sworn in as a citizen in January.

"Then three days later, we get a call from his father," said the uncle, Prem Jay Datt. "We could not believe it. ... Twenty-one years old and he's gone forever."

Singh, 21, emigrated to the United States from Chandigargh, India, at 18 and joined the Army a year later. He was killed Dec. 1 when his convoy was ambushed in Habbaniyah, Iraq.

Stationed at Fort Riley, Singh lived in Lake Forest.

After a funeral ceremony in India, Singh's ashes were taken to Arlington National Cemetery to be buried alongside other American soldiers.

"He said, 'I'm so proud to wear the U.S. Army uniform,'" his mother, Manjit Singh, said from India. She said her son called from Kuwait and told her not to worry because "we are the best army in the world."

Aaron J. Sissel had to get his mother's permission to enlist in the National Guard at age 17, just as he was beginning his senior year of high school.

"All his friends were in," said his mother, Jo.

Sissel, 22, of Tipton, Iowa, was killed Nov. 29 when his cargo truck was ambushed in Haditha, Iraq. He was stationed at Fort Carson and is survived by his mother and his father, Kirk.

Sissel was riding with one of his high school classmates when he died. Spc. Joe A. Gottschalk, another 1998 graduate, survived the attack.

Jo Sissel said that her son was doing what he loved and felt he had a job to do.

"He would have been upset had he not been able to go (to Iraq)," she said.

Christopher A. Sisson loved to fly and planned to become a pilot when he returned from his stint overseas as a paratrooper. Upbeat and confident, he was known as a professional soldier who always did his duty.

Sisson, 20, of Oak Park, died Sept. 2 in Iraq when the helicopter he was riding in flipped and crashed on takeoff. He was stationed at Fort Bragg.

"He died doing something that he loved to do and wanted to be a part of," said Pfc. Jeremy Brown, one of his friends from the squad.

Brown said he and Sisson did everything together. In North Carolina, they hung out when they weren't working. In Iraq, they kept each other company on guard duty.

"He kept me going," Brown said. "He was motivated, determined and loyal. You could not ask any more from this guy. He did it all."

As a storekeeper in the Navy, David Sisung was able to travel far beyond his hometown of Phoenix. But what the 21-year-old really wanted was to come home, his mother said.

"He saw more of the world than his family and friends, but he wanted to be with his family and friends," Roberta Brown said. "He really missed us like we missed him."

Sisung died June 6 of cardiac arrest while serving in the Persian Gulf. He was based at the USS Nimitz.

Growing up, Sisung was a typical little boy, Brown said. "He loved to take his sled riding down in the snow and he loved to collect little bugs."

Sisung, who enlisted in the Navy before graduating from high school, was selfless, his mother said. "He would give the shirt off his back to anybody," she said.

Survivors include his wife.

At 6-foot-5, Brian Slavenas stood out in a crowd even though blending in was more comfortable. And Ronald Slavenas says his son probably wouldn't have been crazy about the word "hero" being used to describe his death.

"He would say, 'No big deal.' He wouldn't want any kind of adulation," the father said.

Brian Slavenas, 30, was a pilot of the Chinook helicopter shot down by insurgents Nov. 2. Fifteen others also died.

Friends and family in Genoa, Ill., described Slavenas as a "gentle giant," a nonviolent man who felt a duty to his country. "He wasn't one of those gung-ho, want-to-go-to-war type guys. He was there to do a job," said his brother Eric Slavenas, who served in Grenada with the Army.

Like his paratrooper father and two older brothers, Slavenas followed a path to the military. The Lithuanian-born Ronald Slavenas, who immigrated to the United States in his teens after fleeing to West Germany as a boy, instilled in his sons a sense of commitment to the country that had taken in his family.

"I thought as an immigrant when you come to this country, you put your shoulder to the wheel," he said.

Brian Slavenas' high school yearbook lists activities as varied as marching band, National Honor Society, chess club, intramural basketball and track. After high school, he became an Army paratrooper, then joined the National Guard, then went to officer school and decided to become a helicopter pilot. He earned an engineering degree from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

Brandon Sloan grew up a Baptist preacher's son with a passion for sports and played defensive lineman on the high school football team. But in his senior year, he dropped out to enlist in the Army.

Sloan thought the Army could help him develop his potential, said his father, the Rev. Tandy Sloan.

"It became apparent early on that Brandon was a special child," his family said in a statement. "He exhibited a unique blend of personality and strength."

Sloan, 19, of Bedford Heights, Ohio, died March 23 when a convoy of the 507th Maintenance Company was ambushed.

Congregation member Karen Cunningham said the death was rough on the church community.

"We love our pastor and we're one big family," Cunningham said. "When something tragic like this happens, it's not just the Sloan family."

Thomas Slocum was a troubled teenager until the Marines turned his life around.

"He was gung-ho," said Slocum's stepfather, Stanley Cooper. "Once he got in the Marines, he was in it all the way. He didn't do anything halfway."

Slocum, 22, of Thornton, Colo., and based at Camp Lejeune, died March 23 in combat.

"He's a hero," said an uncle, Steve Slocum. "I believe in the flag and this country was built on people just like him."

A Navy veteran, Cooper had suggested his stepson join the military. Slocum hadn't been a good student before signing up while still attending high school, but afterward his grades improved so much he made the honor roll before graduating in 1998, Cooper said.

He wore his uniform to the wedding of his mother, Terry, and Cooper in 1998.

"It must have been 90 degrees at the wedding," said another uncle, Jim Slocum. "I took off my coat and tie, but you couldn't get him to take his dress blues off."

Corey L. Small's mother had reservations when he talked about joining the Army after high school. But that didn't stop him.

"He said, 'I'm an American and my friends are joining, so I'm joining,'" said family friend Ken Morgan.

Small, 20, of East Berlin, Pa., died July 3 of a noncombat-related cause in Iraq. He was stationed at Fort Polk and is survived by his wife and 3-year-old son.

"Everyone here is taking it hard," Morgan said. "It's a small town. We all know this kid. The war has come home."

Keith Smette volunteered for duty in Iraq during his senior year at North Dakota State University and relatives and professors said he wanted to give something back to his country after the Sept. 11 attacks.

"He was just a proud American and he was proud to be doing this for his country," said his father, Doug.

Smette, 25, of Makoti, N.D., died Jan. 24 when his convoy was hit by a roadside bomb north of Fallujah, Iraq. His Army Reserve unit was based in Bismarck, N.D.

Smette was an avid hunter and fisherman and wanted to be an elementary school teacher, his father said. He enlisted in 1997, the year he graduated high school.

His brother also was serving in Iraq and his sister served in the Army. But Doug Smette said his son considered all his fellow soldiers to be family.

"In this little town that we live in, there's a lot of kids right around (Keith Smette's) age who were in the Guard, too," he said.

Moments before he took off in a Black Hawk helicopter, Benedict J. Smith wrote in an e-mail to his family that he was glad his day's assignment required him to fly. "That will be good for me to get out of the office for a day," he wrote.

"He once told mom that he knew he could be killed but that, if he died in the helicopter, he would be happy," said Mary Sims, his sister.

Smith, 29, a native of Monroe City, Mo., died Nov. 7 when the helicopter crashed near Tikrit, Iraq. He was stationed at Fort Campbell, Kentucky.

Smith married his wife, Maggie, also a military pilot serving in Iraq, last December. "He and his wife tried to see each other as often as possible while serving in Iraq," Sims said. "His faith was important to him; that has helped him during his time over there."

Smith joined the Army after graduating from high school in 1993. He later attended West Point and flight school.

"Ben has always been one to go for a challenge," Sims said.

Bruce Smith taught martial arts to youngsters and was actively involved in his son's athletics and his daughter's love for horses. He also loved to fly helicopters, especially the Chinook. His personalized license plates read: CK 47, for the CH-47 Chinook helicopter.

Each year, Smith would fly the Chinook to town and host class tours on the craft and lecture about serving in the armed forces, friends said. He has also been e-mailing elementary classes regularly about his life and duties in Iraq.

"He really loved helicopters and flying," said neighbor Jennie Thurston. "He also really touched all the kids in the schools with his love of what he did."

Smith, 41, of West Liberty, Iowa, was a pilot on the Chinook helicopter that was downed Nov. 2 while carrying troops home on leave. Fifteen others also died.

Smith joined the National Guard before graduating from high school and was a career officer in the Guard. He recently was assigned as a flight instructor in Davenport, Iowa.

He is survived by his wife, Olivia, daughter, Savannah, and son, Nathan.

When Darrell Smith's flight back to Iraq was moved up at the last minute, his goodbyes with his family were rushed. It made leaving behind his wife and three children even more difficult, his father said.

"He didn't want to go back but he knew he had to because it was his duty and his job." Stan Smith said.

The 28-year-old National Guardsman, from Otwell, Ind., died Nov. 23 when his Humvee overturned into a canal south of Baghdad. He was based in Washington, Ind.

Darrell Smith was "a really good soldier with good leadership skills and generally a good guy," said fellow guardsman First Sgt. Charles Selby. "He was one of those people who were always in a good mood."

Smith joined the National Guard when he was 17 and he would often be working on Guard-related projects, family members said. "He was proud of it," Bruce Smith said of his brother. "I was really proud of him, too."

He is survived by his wife, Amy, and children Brieanna, 9; Hannah, 5; and Andrew, 3.

Edward Smith, a Marine who also served as an Anaheim, Calif., reserve police officer, told friends he planned to ride into Baghdad wearing his black SWAT team cap stitched with a silver eagle.

Smith never made it. The 38-year-old died April 5 from wounds suffered in combat.

"We all knew Edward was a great man and it's so nice to know everybody else knew him too," his widow, Sandy. The couple have three children.

She said Smith wanted to test himself after 20 years in the Marines without having seen combat.

"He was the best dad you could ever have. I miss him a lot," the couple's son, Ryan, 10, tearfully said.

Smith, hired by Anaheim police in 1999, sent e-mails and letters to police colleagues, who gave him a Special Tactics Detail cap and pin. In a postcard fashioned from a cardboard box, Smith told fellow officers "his intention was to wear his SWAT cap all the way into Baghdad," said police spokesman Rick Martinez.

Eric A. Smith had wanted to fly since he was a little boy, but by the time he graduated from the Rochester Institute of Technology he figured his grades would keep him grounded.

In the mid-1980s, some Air Force pilots he met gave him new hope, said his mother, Lillian Lake, 70.

"They told him he would be better off going into the Army and being a helicopter pilot, even though it's more difficult to fly a helicopter than a plane," she said.

Smith, 42, a 16-year Army veteran from Rochester, N.Y., was killed when the helicopter he was in went down.

"He told me if anything happened to him, I should remember it was his choice," Lake said. "He said if he's going to die, he wants to die flying a helicopter."

The youngest of three brothers, Smith never married.

"He was always hoping to find a girl to marry," his mother said. "But because he moved around so much, if he met somebody he felt it wouldn't be fair to pick her up from her roots unless it was the right type of girl that could adjust."

When Jeremiah D. Smith was killed in Iraq on May 26, it wasn't just his family who felt the loss. There also were his comrades at Fort Riley, Kansas.

Smith, 25, of Odessa, Mo., was a cavalry scout in Baghdad putting him out front looking for possible trouble awaiting his fellow soldiers. He was escorting heavy equipment transporters when his vehicle hit unexploded ordnance, killing him.

"He was a hard-nosed hard charger who didn't stop," said Staff Sgt. Ryan Rust, who saw Smith just about every day at Fort Riley. "We were brothers in arms. I respected him very much."

Smith was married and had two daughters, ages 3 and 5.

His father, Doug Smith of Odessa, said his son was proud of being a soldier.

"But what he really wanted to do was to become a teacher," his father said. "And he was going to use his Army benefits to pay for college. He wanted to help teach young people about life."

Matthew R. Smith stood about 5 feet 8 inches and weighed 140 pounds, but friends and family said he never let his small stature keep him from big accomplishments.

He played one season of football in high school, served on the student council and worked at the school radio station. He attended Indiana University and joined the Marine Reserves as a radio operator and was deployed to Kuwait in February.

Smith, 20, of Anderson, Ind., died May 10 in a vehicle accident in Kuwait. The day his son died, David Smith received the first letter from Matthew since his deployment. His son wrote how proud he was to be fighting for his country's freedom.

"How many people on this Earth die doing the job they know they were put here to do?" the father said.

High school teacher Tim Thomas recalled long conversations with Smith.

"We used to talk a lot about philosophy and religion, so many things like that," Thomas said. "He was very involved and genuine."

Orenthial J. Smith joined the high school football team his senior year, as a wide receiver and kicker. He didn't play every game, but that was OK the coach says Smith was happy just being part of the team.

"He liked the camaraderie and the relationships he built with the guys he played with," said Carlos Cave, football coach at Allendale-Fairfax High School in South Carolina. "He tried extra hard. He always did whatever that was asked of him."

Smith, 21, died June 22 after an attack on his convoy south of Baghdad. He joined the military right out of high school, and was stationed in Germany.

Smith's mother, Iratean, said her son had hoped to make the military his career. But still, she said, he had reservations about the war.

"He loved the Army, but he didn't like the war," she said.

Paul R. Smith was a 13-year Army veteran who said he felt honored he was leading soldiers into war.

"Paul made it clear that it was his privilege to lead 25 of America's finest soldiers into war, and he was prepared to do whatever it takes to ensure their safe return, and he did," said his sister, Lisa DeVane.

Smith, 33, of Tampa, Fla., and based at Fort Stewart, was killed in action April 4.

DeVane said her brother was a family man who enjoyed spending time at home.

"He didn't really like to go out with the boys," she said. "He liked to be with his family. He was very happy with what he had a simple and happy person that way."

Smith graduated from high school in 1989 and enlisted that year. Before going to Iraq, he served in the first Gulf War, Bosnia and Kosovo.

"That's what he wanted to do, be a professional soldier and have a family. He had his life mapped out since he was 18," said Smith's stepfather Donald Pvirre.

Smith is survived by his wife and two children.

To people who knew him in high school, Steve Soelzer was a quiet man who put academics first.

"I think he was close to straight A's," said Dave Mueller, who played high school football with Soelzer in Sturgis, S.D. "To be honest, he was real quiet, real shy, except to some of his friends. He was also a person who, you'd barely have to know him and he'd do everything for you. He was just a real nice guy."

Soelzer, 26, was one of three soldiers from Fort Leonard Wood killed Dec. 24 when a homemade bomb blew up as they traveled in a convoy near Samarra, north of Baghdad.

After high school Soelzer earned a scholarship to attend Kemper Military School in Boonville, Mo., said his father, Steve. He later enrolled at the South Dakota School of Mines and Technology in Rapid City, where he received a degree in chemical engineering.

His brother Josh Soelzer, 25, was also serving in Iraq.

Roderic A. Solomon lived the Army life long before he enlisted.

He was born in Womack Army Hospital at Fort Bragg, N.C., the son, the grandson and the brother of soldiers.

Solomon, 32, of Fayetteville, N.C., and based at Fort Stewart, was killed March 28 when his Bradley fighting vehicle rolled off a cliff in Iraq.

He joined the military after graduating from high school and served in the 1991 Gulf War.

Solomon left the Army in 1996 but re-enlisted in May 2002, finally sure that he wanted to make a career in uniform, said his father, retired Sgt. Maj. Robert Solomon.

"It provided the experience, the different cultures, different languages and different career fields," Robert Solomon said.

He leaves three children, ages 3, 7 and 8.

Armando Soriano had worked ever since he was 12 or 13, trying to help his parents by earning money at restaurants or construction sites or odd jobs. Soon the Army seemed a good fit.

"The main reason he took off to the Army was that he wanted to help out his parents and to try and be somebody and learn," said Soriano's lifelong friend, Alex Castellano. "He would think about everybody else before he thought about himself."

Soriano, 20, of Houston, died Feb. 1 when his vehicle slid off a road in Haditha, Iraq, and rolled over during bad weather.

Soriano joined the Army two months after graduating from high school in 2002. He signed up over the strong objections of his mother, who feared for the oldest of their five children.

The strong-willed Soriano told his parents he was 18 and it was his decision to make. His mother's objections changed once she began receiving letters and photos of him in basic training.

"I was real proud of him," Clotilde Soriano said. "He was being somebody."

In a Christmas letter to his parents, Christopher J. Splinter said he believed the U.S. efforts in Iraq were progressing slowly, but in a positive direction.

"We will be successful, but must dig in our heels for the long term," Splinter wrote. "Ten years from now, Iraq will be the show state in the Middle East. This is dependent on America not losing hope and forcing the army to depart early."

Splinter, 43, of Platteville, Wis., died Dec. 24 near Samarra, Iraq, when the vehicle he was in hit a homemade bomb. He was stationed at Fort Leonard Wood.

Fort Leonard Wood's Col. Paul Kelly visited Splinter's 5th Engineer Battalion in Iraq about two months before Splinter died and the men talked with pride about rebuilding six schools and repairing other infrastructure ripped apart by the war.

"I remember sitting down with Major Splinter and discussing the operation," Kelly said. "We talked about his family. He also expressed pride in being able to serve his country."

Splinter joined the ROTC program at the University of Wisconsin-Platteville in 1986. He graduated with a bachelor's degree in business administration in 1990 and went on active duty as an engineer.

He is survived by his wife, Penny who had been his high school sweetheart and their children, 13-year-old Mitchell and 10-year-old Rachel.

Bryan Nicholas Spry practiced disassembling and reassembling his rifle until he could do it with eyes closed and once woke a buddy at 3 a.m. to ask him questions about an upcoming mission.

"He showed us how to be a good man, a great friend and an awesome paratrooper," said battalion chaplain 1st Lt. Sean Moore.

Spry, 19, of Chestertown, Md., died Feb. 13 when a bridge collapsed, dropping the Humvee in which he was riding into a water-filled ditch in Baghdad. He was based at Fort Bragg.

Spry, who went by "Nick," joined the Army last year, three weeks after graduating from high school.

"He always seemed to cling to military people," said his mother, Beverly Fabri. He spent hours in high school with two teachers who had served in the military. His maternal grandfather served at Guadalcanal in World War II and received a Silver Star, which Spry always carried with him.

He had been deployed in Iraq only since January, but he made a quick impression. Spry's comrades, who nicknamed him "Bulldog," described him as disciplined, motivated, loyal and aggressive. They also recalled his smile and the ever-present pinch of snuff in his lower lip.

Jesus Suarez Del Solar wanted to fight in Iraq to prevent an attack on the United States.

"He always told us that he would rather go over there so that those people don't come here and hurt us," said his wife, Sayne Suarez.

Suarez, 20, of Escondido, Calif., and based at Camp Pendleton, was killed in combat March 27.

His father moved the family from Mexico to the United States in 1997 to help fulfill his son's wish of becoming a Marine. Suarez enlisted in the Marine Corps in 2001 after graduating from high school.

He and his wife married nearly a year ago and have a 16-month-old son, Erik.

"He put his family first," Sayne Suarez said. "He was always helpful to others and he was just a person that everyone could easily love."

In the eyes of his superiors, Tomas Sotelo was a guiding light for his unit.

"In those moments of stress, he would always have something to say that would lighten their hearts," said Brig. Gen. Jason Kamiya, commander of Sotelo's training unit at Fort Polk.

Sotelo's platoon sergeant, Sgt. 1st Class Douglas Zollman, said Sotelo "was like a big brother to the other soldiers."

"He was the guy who, when other soldiers would come to the unit, would help teach them what they should do and what they shouldn't do to stay out of trouble," Zollman said.

Sotelo, 22, of Houston, died June 27 in a rocket-propelled grenade attack in Iraq. He was the son of Tomas and Benancia Sotelo.

Zollman said the 22-man platoon down to 19 after the three casualties is "very close."

"We go in together and we never separate," he said. "Everybody took it hard, but we'll keep on going for him."

Kenneth C. Souslin, at 21 the youngest of five sons, joined the Army to see the world and was proud to perform his duty, his father says.

"Ken did not know an enemy. He was outgoing. Naive maybe. Not scared of anything," said his father, Kenneth G. Souslin of Mansfield, Ohio.

Souslin, who was stationed in Germany, died Dec. 15 at Baghdad International Airport of non-combat related injuries. His death is under investigation.

In high school, Souslin was a "very cooperative, friendly, eager, pleasant young man," drama teacher Ray Gerrell said.

"I had him in two, one-act plays," Gerrell said. "He had a speech impediment, and I give him credit. He did wonderfully and was fully understood."

When Souslin returned recently with his recruiter to the high school wearing his Army uniform, he was full of self-confidence, said principal Jim Goode.

"He was a great kid," "Very well liked by students."

In a Christmas letter to his parents, Christopher J. Splinter said he believed the U.S. efforts in Iraq were progressing slowly, but in a positive direction.

"We will be successful, but must dig in our heals for the long term," Splinter wrote. "Ten years from now, Iraq will be the show state in the Middle East. This is dependent on America not losing hope and forcing the army to depart early."

Splinter, 43, of Platteville, Wis., died Dec. 24 near Samarra, Iraq, when the vehicle he was in hit a homemade bomb. He was stationed at Fort Leonard Wood.

Fort Leonard Wood's Col. Paul Kelly visited Splinter's 5th Engineer Battalion in Iraq about two months before Splinter died, and the men talked with pride about rebuilding six schools and repairing other infrastructure ripped apart by the war.

"I remember sitting down with Major Splinter and discussing the operation," Kelly said. "We talked about his family. He also expressed pride in being able to serve his country."

Splinter joined the ROTC program at the University of Wisconsin-Platteville in 1986. He graduated with a bachelor's degree in business administration in 1990 and went on active duty as an engineer.

He is survived by his wife, Penny who had been his high school sweetheart and their children, 13-year-old Mitchell and 10-year-old Rachel.

Robert A. Stever was protective of his family and took time for those he cared about.

"He was always smiling," said his grandfather Ray Stever. "He was friendly and willing to help his fellow man."

Stever, 36, from Pendleton, Ore., and based at Fort Stewart, was killed in combat April 8.

Stever, known to his family and friends as Tony, had a 10-year-old daughter and had been a volunteer firefighter with the Pendleton, Ore., Fire Department, following in the footsteps of his father. He left Pendleton in 1993 but still considered it his home, said his wife, Cyndi Stever.

In his 13 years in the Army, he completed two tours in Bosnia and one in Macedonia, but the war in Iraq was his first time in combat.

About a week before he died, called and left a message on his grandparents' answering machine. "He said everything was OK and he loved us," said his grandmother, Betty Stever.

Gregory Stone loved his two boys and he let them know it.

His last letter to sons Alex, 11, and 7-year-old Joshua arrived two days after he was killed March 25 in a grenade attack in Kuwait.

"It was good," Alex said of his father's letter. "At the end he said he would be back and that we'd go to Universal Studios."

Alex has started what he calls his "special drawer" to keep the letter and other mementos that remind him and his brother of their dad. The boys live in with their mother in Boise, Idaho.

Stone, 40, was a member of the Idaho Air National Guard and had talked often to family about being a soldier.

"He told us about flying on the planes and dropping off supplies to troops," said his cousin Lori Percifield. "He just talked about it like it was his job and that is how we considered it."

The youngest of four boys, Kirk Straseskie was used to persevering. That's why he and the Marines were a perfect fit: all of them brave.

"He told me he was going to match my ribbons," said his father, John Straseskie, an Army veteran. "He matched them and more."

Straseskie, 23, of Beaver Dam, Wis., and based at Camp Pendleton, died May 19 in Iraq trying to rescue four Marines on board a helicopter that crashed in a canal.

He joined the Marines in 1998, following in the footsteps of his father, grandfather and older brother, all Army men. He had planned to make the military a career, his father said, but then met a woman and fell in love. They had hoped to marry.

His fearlessness was evident both at home, with his brothers, and in school. He often wrestled at 171 pounds, even though he was almost always lighter than his opponents, and called the defensive alignments as a linebacker for the football team

"He gave the most effort," said Straseskie's football and wrestling coach, Todd Sobrilsky. "He put his heart and soul into what he was doing."

William R. Sturges Jr. likely joined the military because of his selflessness, his mother said.

"Bill was always one to protect people. He was always a caring person," Linda Sturges said.

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

Sturges and his wife left their 16-month-old son in the care of relatives while they served in different units in Iraq. They planned to re-enlist together.

In the last e-mail Deida Sturges received from her husband a few days before his death, "he said he loved me and talk to you later," she said. He also asked about where they should go when they re-enlisted.

The couple met at a vocational school near Pittsburgh, and married in 2000. Deida Sturges was already in the Army when her husband transferred in from the National Guard.

Sturges is also survived by a 4-year-old son from another relationship.

For years, older brother Alonzo Sturino led and younger brother Paul Sturino followed from high school wrestling to joining the Army to going to Iraq.

The two were having a friendly race to see who would be the first promoted to sergeant, said their uncle, Duane Sturino of Kenosha, Wis.

Now, "Alonzo said he is even more motivated now because of Paul's death," Duane Sturino said.

Paul Sturino, 21, died Sept. 22 in Iraq after another soldier's firearm accidentally discharged. He grew up in Rice Lake, Wis., and was based at Fort Campbell.

Family members reminisced at his funeral about the happy boy who often spent summers in Kenosha, where the Sturino family is widely known and well-loved. He also spent three summers on the Barracuda Swim Team in Kenosha.

"He was a fun-loving, well-liked young man," Duane Sturino said.

Joseph Suell was known for giving it his all, whether on the basketball court or in the Army.

"Joseph was a dedicated young man," said Jesse Walker, Suell's basketball coach at Lufkin (Texas) High School. "He gave everything he had, did what the coaches asked, never made excuses and was always on time."

Suell, 24, a supply specialist stationed at Fort Sill, died June 16 in Iraq of a non-combat-related cause. His death is being investigated.

Suell was a point guard on his high school basketball team, earning honorable mention all-district status in 1996 and 1997, Walker said.

Ronald Kellam, who worked with Suell for seven months, said in an e-mail to the Lufkin Daily News from Iraq that Suell was a hero, doing a job many at home take for granted.

"A hero in his family's eye, a hero to many of the soldiers that he worked with. Joe's death came as a real shock to everyone here," he said.

"The day that Joe died was a day that I lost a brother."

Survivors include his wife, Rebecca.

John R. Sullivan re-enlisted in the Army so his wife could afford to stay home with their new twins. The twins he never met.

His wife, Katrina, was busy caring for their 2-month-old twins when she got the news: Her 26-year-old husband was killed Nov. 15 when two Black Hawk helicopters crashed in Iraq.

Sullivan saw his sons briefly on a Web camera and his wife also sent him a recording of their voices. "But it's not the same," she said. "It doesn't replace holding them."

Sullivan, who was born in Countryside, Ill., and stationed at Fort Campbell, met his wife when he was stationed at Fort Lewis several years ago. She said she first fell in love with his smile.

"He never complains; he has an awesome sense of humor," she said. "He was just the kind of man you were lucky to know."

Sullivan is also survived by a 10-year-old stepdaughter, Jade Whitmer-Steele.

Though he excelled on his high school soccer team, Narson B. Sullivan was just as well known for his efforts off the field: raising money for sick children and collecting canned food for poor residents in the North Brunswick, N.J., area.

"He was a solid young man, extremely well-disciplined," said his soccer coach, George Yuhasz. "He showed me a lot of respect as a coach. It was always, "Yes, sir' and "Hello, how are you?'"

Sullivan, 21, based at Fort Hood, died April 25 in Iraq when his gun accidentally discharged.

Sullivan studied in the food service program at his vocational-technical high school, aspiring to become a chef, and relatives say he joined the Army in 2000 to help pay for college.

"Narson was a very cooperative, competent student," said school Principal Al Simone. "He was a really nice kid, liked by all of his peers."

Said his aunt, Tabitha Sullivan: "He would make anyone happy."

Michael Sutter loved the military, a passion reflected even things he did for fun, like paintball games.

"The Army was his life," said sister-in-law Ann Sutter.

Sutter, 28, of Tinley Park was killed in Iraq on Dec. 26 while trying to defuse a homemade bomb. He was based in Camp Grayling.

Military officials told the family that Sutter was using a robot to defuse one bomb, then tried to do the same with another bomb but couldn't get to it with the robot, Ann Sutter said. He tried to defuse it manually and was a foot away when it exploded, she said.

Sutter served eight years in the Army before joining the National Guard, Ann Sutter said. A graduate of Andrew High School, Sutter was attending Moraine Valley College.

Sutter's mother, Judy, told WLS-TV in Chicago that her son was a team leader.

"The guys trusted him, believed in him," she said. "They idolized him."

Sharon T. Swartworth moved out of her Pentagon office shortly before it was destroyed in the Sept. 11 attacks. She felt lucky to survive, her father said.

"She told me the nose of the plane was in her office," Bernard Mayo said.

The 43-year-old lead adviser to the Army's judge advocate general was killed Nov. 7 when the Black Hawk helicopter she was riding crashed near Tikrit, Iraq. She was assigned to the Pentagon and had recently moved her family to Mililani, Hawaii.

Swartworth was planning to retire there with her husband and 8-year-old son after her trip to Iraq. "This was going to be Sharon's last hurrah," Mayo said. "They were going to live happily ever after."

Neighbors in Alexandria, Va., remembered the 26-year Army veteran and avid runner as a friendly and giving woman who helped organize and host neighborhood events. "She was a very generous person, with her time and with her home," said friend and neighbor Eileen Houser.

When Thomas J. Sweet II died on Thanksgiving Day, he had just received word that he was being promoted to sergeant, his mother said.

"I was so proud of him," Liz Sweet said. "I loved him dearly for his compassion. He definitely won't be nominated for sainthood, but he was a compassionate, loving person."

The 23-year-old soldier from Bismarck, N.D., died Nov. 27 in his barracks from a gunshot wound to the head. The Army said investigators were trying to determine whether the gun went off accidentally or whether Sweet killed himself.

"He was a good guy, quiet, he worked pretty hard," said Sgt. Dennis Robinson, who served alongside Sweet in Iraq. "He would make jokes about the hard times, everyday stress. He would make it fun."

Christopher Swisher's favorite place to shop was the Army surplus store. His mother said he admired the military so much, he dressed in camouflage clothing almost his entire senior year.

He joined the Army a year after he graduated from high school in Lincoln, Neb., in 1995.

"He tried really hard to get into the Army. That's what he wanted to do," she said. "He told me over and over again, 'Mom, remember I love you and remember if anything happens to me I'm doing what I want to be doing; I'm protecting my family and my home.'"

Swisher, 26, and another soldier were killed Oct. 9 in Baghdad, in what the military said was an ambush. He was stationed at Fort Polk.

Swisher and his wife, Kristen, celebrated their second wedding anniversary Sept. 29.

Patrick S. Tainsh was known as a go-it-alone "California surfer guy," but in his heart he had a partner for life he had planned to get engaged to her when he got home from Iraq.

Tainsh, 33, of Oceanside, Calif., was killed Feb. 11, just a month before his expected return home, by a roadside bomb while on patrol in Baghdad. He was assigned to Fort Polk.

He had been looking forward to getting engaged to his girlfriend, Tracy Idiaquez of New Orleans.

"He loved what he did," said Deborah Tainsh, his stepmother. "He was an independent, I'm-going-to-go-my-own-way kind of guy."

Tainsh, a cavalry scout, joined the Army in September 2000 and had been at Fort Polk since May 2001.

"He was a typical California surfer guy who at 28 or 29 decided to take the next step in his life" by joining the military, half brother Phillip Moore said.

Moore said Tainsh joined the Army at the relatively late age because he had so many things he wanted to see and do first. His father, David, retired from the Marine Corps in 1994 after 28 years.

Christopher Taylor lifted weights at the YMCA every day before his unit was deployed. "He was a picture of muscle and fitness," Michael Taylor said of his 6-foot-5, 270-pound son. "And he had a heart as big as he was."

Taylor, 25, of Daphne, Ala., was killed Feb. 16 in Baghdad when his vehicle hit a roadside bomb. He was assigned to a military police company in Fairhope, La.

"He was always sort of the mediator between things," Michael Taylor said. "He never wanted to hurt anybody's feelings ... He was the one that would hold his other brothers back and make sure he looked both ways in the street before they crossed."

Michael and Priscilla Taylor said their son had planned to attend Southeast Louisiana University when he returned from Iraq, and wanted to study law enforcement. "He wanted to be a game warden or a U.S. marshal," his father said.

John R. Teal loved traveling, swimming, the Dave Matthews Band and Frank Sinatra.

"He was the kind of guy that no one could say anything bad about," said Frank Boehling, who graduated with Teal from high school in Virginia and in 1994 from Virginia Military Institute.

Teal, 31, who was based at Fort Hood and worked as a medical officer with the 4th Infantry Division, was killed Oct. 23, when a mine exploded outside Baqouba, Iraq.

His mother, Emmie Teal, of Montpelier, Va., said her son spent his final days helping sick children and meeting with Iraqi citizens.

Even with all his interests, "the military was his life," said his father, Joseph Teal.

When Army officials arrived at the family's home to break the news of Teal's death, "I knew what it was," his father said. "But are you ever prepared for this?"

Candles burned outside the Tejeda family's door in New York City, where a photo of their son, Riayan, was posted along with the words "Our Hero."

Tejeda, 26, was killed April 11 in combat.

"They don't tell me exactly what happened," his father, Julio Tejeda, said. "They only come to my house and say they have bad news for me: My son has been killed in the fighting in Iraq."

Julio Tejeda said his son was a fan of Latin music and always told his mother that he loved her. He was based at Camp Pendleton, Calif., and is survived by two daughters, ages 3 and 6, Gunnery Sgt. Luz Fontaine said.

A former high school football player, Jason Andrew Tetrault had planned to join the football team at the Twentynine Palms Marine base, and to study computer programming in college. Beyond that, he kept his options open.

"Jason was the type of person that didn't make long-term plans," said his mother, Mary Carriere of Moreno Valley, Calif. "His theory was: You never know what life is going to throw at you."

Tetrault, 20, died July 9 in a car accident in Kuwait.

Seeking new challenges, Tetrault decided he would join the Marines the summer before his senior year in high school, his mother said.

Tetrault had been looking forward to coming home on leave he wanted to go bungee jumping and skydiving and couldn't wait to see the Pacific Ocean again, his mother said.

"He didn't like having to sit; he liked to go, liked to play," she said. "He was just always on the move."

By all accounts, Kyle Thomas was a man of many talents. Whether it was building a grandfather clock, designing theater sets, playing football, tinkering with a car or being a ballet dancer, he excelled.

"He was the jack of all trades and wrote the book on every one of them," said his younger brother Craig.

The 23-year-old paratrooper from Topeka, Kan., was killed Sept. 25 by a bomb blast in Tikrit. He was stationed at Ford Ederle in Italy.

Kyle Thomas didn't start out to be a soldier. He played football and wrestled in high school but by his junior year, he swapped his football helmet for ballet shoes.

Mark Smith said he got his friend, a member of the Topeka Fencing Club, interested in ballet when he asked him to help out with a local production of "Romeo and Juliet."

While performing in Topeka, he met another dancer, Cari Dyke, whom he married in July 2002.

He told his family that he decided to join the military after nearly drowning while kayaking after the Sept. 11 attacks.

In his hometown of Orangeburg, S.C., Anthony Orlando Thompson was known as a quiet but friendly leader who always did the right thing.

"He was a fine kid in the neighborhood. He was respectful and disciplined. A loving son any mother would like to have," said neighbor Earl Fersner.

Thompson, 26, died Sept. 18 during a small arms and rocket-propelled grenade ambush five miles south of Tikrit, Iraq. He was stationed at Fort Hood.

Friend Morio Miller, 19, credited Thompson with keeping him on the "straight and narrow."

"Anthony was always on top of things. He was always trying to keep us out of trouble. He was a loving person."

Twenty-year-old Furman Mintz said Thompson was "like a big brother to me. We used to play ball together in the neighborhood; football, basketball, baseball. He was a nice guy."

Jarrett B. Thompson worked hard but knew how to have fun, too. He appreciated good beer and good music, and was a guitar player himself.

"Elvis and the Grateful Dead were his favorites," said his wife, Kelly Thompson.

Thompson, 27, of Dover, Del., died Sept. 7 at Walter Reed Army Medical Center of injuries he suffered Aug. 30 in a vehicle accident in Iraq. He is also survived by two sons, ages 2 and 6.

Thompson served in the Army for two years after graduating from high school in 1993 and joined the Reserves in January 2000. Before being deployed overseas in April, he worked in computer animated design.

Neighbor Kevin Yingling recalled the first time he met Thompson.

"He came over wearing a tie-dye T-shirt and carrying two microbrews," Yingling said. "That's how he introduced himself."

A military history buff, Thompson recently had taken up brewing and golf, and was making plans to get his pilot's license.

"He was a good, wonderful husband and father," Kelly Thompson said.

Spc. Brandon Tobler didn't want to be rich or famous. He only wanted to make the world a better place.

"I feel that if I make a difference out here, I've done my part," he wrote in his last e-mail message home.

"If you see a soldier," he urged his parents, "thank them for the service they give," adding that some will be asked to "make the supreme sacrifice."

Tobler, 19, of Portland, Ore., was killed March 22 in a convoy accident during a sandstorm.

An only child, Tobler graduated from high school in Portland and worked at an electronics store to earn money for college before joining the Army Reserves.

Tobler would have made "a kind husband and a loving father," said his uncle, Scott Tom. "He would have given his all, just as he did for his country.

"He was 19 and pretty darned cool."

For Nicholas A. Tomko, the Army Reserve was the ticket to a new career in law enforcement. The armored car driver joined three years ago, served six months in Bosnia, and, after two months off, went with his unit to Iraq.

Tomko, 24, of Pittsburgh, Pa., died Nov. 9 in Baghdad when the Humvee he was riding in was attacked with mortar and small-arms fire.

"He was a great kid, brave as hell, he didn't take no chances, he knew his stuff," said his father, Jack Tomko, who served in the Marine Corps from 1966 to 1970.

Father and son didn't talk about the war or conditions in Iraq. "I told him you don't tell me what is going on, you tell me when you get home," Jack Tomko said. His son was due home at the end of December.

The day before he was killed, he had spoken on the telephone with Jessica Baillie, his fiance and the mother of their 2-year-old son, Ethan.

"I'm going to make sure than Ethan knows that his dad is a hero ... that he went over there to fight for his country," Baillie said.

Richard Torres enlisted in the Army after he graduated from high school in Passaic, N.J., in 1996, saying it was a way for him to be the first person in his family to graduate from college.

He eventually attended Austin Peay State University in Tennessee, where he held a double major in political science and history and graduated in 2002. He also was involved in the university's ROTC program, where he won several awards.

Torres, 25, died Oct. 6 when his convoy was hit by a homemade explosive. He was based at Fort Drum.

"He was truly an all-around outstanding young man, (possessing) all the attributes and qualities of a junior leader in the Army," Lt. Col. Pat O'Hara, professor of Military Science at Austin Peay, said in an e-mail to Torres' friends.

Torres is survived by his wife, Linda.

Michael L. Tosto was a tank driver who didn't die from combat, but from pneumonia that his mother said developed rapidly and killed him before he could be airlifted from Baghdad to a military hospital in Germany.

Tosto, 24, who grew up in Chatham County, N.C., and was stationed in Germany, died June 17. Family members say his death came less than 48 hours after he started showing symptoms of pneumonia. He had been assigned to duty in Baghdad April 30.

Tosto is survived by his wife, Stephanie, and 19-month-old son, Cameron.

The last time his mother, Janet Tosto, heard his voice was when he called on her May 5 birthday.

"He loved driving tanks," said his mother, of Atlantic, N.C. "He didn't like being away from his family now, and he just loved that little boy, but he really enjoyed what he did."

His mother said Tosto's wife had received two letters from him since he died in which he was "talking about how much he loved her and how much he wanted to spend the next 80 years with her."

Roger C. Turner was an artistic man who loved to sketch, read comic books and play video games. While attending Ohio University, Turner studied theater for a year and a half before focusing on courses to be a teacher.

"He really wanted to be an actor," said his mother, Dottie Turner. "But he changed his major to elementary education because he wasn't getting to do much more than building props."

Turner, 37, of Parkersburg, W.Va., was injured after his sleeping area came under fire near Balad, Iraq, and died Feb. 1. He was stationed at Fort Hood.

He became interested in the military while serving in the National Guard in college, and served in the Navy for five years before joining the Army in 1988, his mother said. Other survivors include his wife, Teresa, and two children.

"He loved his family and he loved his country. I think that's the greatest thing you can say about anybody," his mother said.

Even before Scott Matthew Tyrrell's first day of boot camp, family members could see he believed his decision to join the Army was the right one.

He "really felt like he found his niche when he enlisted in the Army," said his aunt, Mary Beth Mitchell of Elgin. "After he decided to enlist, we saw such a transformation in him."

Arnold Tyrrell of Polo, Ill., said that before his son enlisted the boy would blow off his schoolwork. After he decided to enlist, "all of a sudden he buckled down, did what was necessary."

"It just seemed like he needed something to focus on," the elder Tyrrell said.

Tyrrell, 21, of Sterling, Ill., was mortally wounded Nov. 14 in Tikrit, Iraq, while operating an armored earth mover, his father said. He died Nov. 20 at Brooke Army Medical Center in San Antonio, Texas.

Tyrrell had been in the Army since the summer after he graduated from high school. He was stationed at Fort Hood.

Survivors include his father and his stepmother, Kathleen Tyrrell of Polo; his mother, Susan Tyrrell of Forreston, Ill.

Eugene Uhl followed his father and grandfather into the military. His father fought in Vietnam, and his grandfather served in World War II and the Korean War.

"He was proud to be there (in Iraq), proud to be defending the country," his mother, Joan Uhl said.

The 21-year-old soldier from Amherst, Wis., was among 17 killed when two Black Hawk helicopters collided in Iraq on Nov. 15. He was based at Fort Campbell, and was engaged to be married in June.

"He was serious, but yet he was very outgoing," his mother said. "He was sometimes a prankster, very caring and full of life."

His mother said Uhl wrote a letter recently that only his father was allowed to read.

"It was just he had a bad feeling about what was going to happen," his mother said.

Melissa Valles was a soldier through and through.

When she reported to superiors at work, she always stood at parade rest shoulders back, hands clasped behind her back, feet spread slightly apart.

"When she came in, she was squared-away. Total soldier. She always showed proper respect and always was pushing the troops," said Sgt. 1st Class Cathy Mihm, who worked down the hall from Valles at Fort Carson.

Valles, 26, of Eagle Pass, Texas, died July 9 of non-combat injuries in Iraq.

Growing up south of San Antonio on the Mexico border, younger sister Maribel Valles said the 5-foot-3 Melissa Valles assumed the role of head of the household even though she had two older brothers.

"She was petite, but she was a really tough lady," Maribel Valles said. "She really put people in their place. She did that since she was a girl. She would put little boys who were bullies in their place."

In his brother's eyes, Brian Van Dusen died while performing the kind of mission that was his reason for joining the Army.

"He believed in saving lives, not taking them," David Van Dusen said.

Van Dusen, 39, originally from Columbus, Ohio, was one of three soldiers killed May 9 in a helicopter crash during the rescue of an Iraqi child. He was based at Fort Carson and lived with his wife, 6-year-old daughter and 2-year-old son in Colorado Springs, Colo.

David Van Dusen said he last spoke to his brother a month before he died, on the day he shipped out from Fort Carson. The two men were making plans for an annual deer hunting trip in December.

"You just can't take anything for granted," David Van Dusen said.

A mischievous practical joker who always had a smile, Mark D. Vasquez thrived after following his father and cousin into the Army in 1993.

"This was something Mark liked," said his father, Mike Vasquez. "It was the guidance ... and the discipline he needed."

Vasquez, 35, was killed Nov. 8 near Fallujah, Iraq, by a makeshift bomb. He was stationed at Fort Riley. He is survived by wife Nicole, daughter, Breanna, 6, and son Cameron, 2.

Vasquez, who grew up in Port Huron, Mich., had recently taken up golf, and excelled at skateboarding and breakdancing. He missed his unit's first deployment to Iraq while training in the U.S. Army Ranger School, but hoped another chance would come.

"If it was dangerous, he wanted to do it," friend Jeff Parr said. "And I'm sure he would rather it be him than anyone else in his unit."

Frances M. Vega was assigned to the 151st Adjutant General Postal Detachment 3 at Fort Hood, and was born at Fort Buchanan, Puerto Rico. Her father is a retired U.S. soldier, Army spokesman Jose Pagan in Puerto Rico said.

She was among 16 troops killed in the Nov. 2 downing of a helicopter carrying troops from Iraq on leave.

Paul A. Velazquez was about to meet his 4-month-old daughter for the first time.

"He was anxious to come home and see his baby and family. They were real important to him," said Velazquez's father, John D. Velazquez.

Velazquez, 29, was one of 16 soldiers killed in the Nov. 2 downing of a helicopter carrying troops home on leave.

Velazquez grew up in San Diego and joined the Army in 1992. He recently re-enlisted for four years and was stationed at Fort Sill.

The elder Velazquez said his son's death has changed his views about the war.

"Right now they are hunting us down one at a time," he said. "We should get the heck out of there. ... If they want to kill each other, why should we care? They don't want our help. I didn't feel this way before. But now it's different."

Kimberly and Max Voelz met during bomb disposal training, married four years ago, and were serving on separate bomb disposal teams in Iraq. On Dec. 14, Kimberly Voelz died in her husband's arms after an improvised explosive device she was trying to defuse went off.

"He was there to hold her when she died. God wanted that," said Floyd Fahnestock, her father, of Monroe Township, Pa.

Max Voelz received word of his 27-year-old wife's injury as she was being taken to a military hospital in Baghdad. He rushed to her side, her family said, and she died a few hours later.

"She believed in what she was doing over there to help the Iraqi people," said Carol Fahnestock, her mother. "She died for America."

Family members said they were not surprised that Kimberly, who was stationed at Fort Knox, chose such a dangerous specialty after enlisting in the Army eight years ago.

"My sister has been a daredevil all her life," said her younger brother, Chad.

"She would tell me about some of the stuff that happens over there just like I would talk about doing a tax return," her father said.

Jeffrey C. Walker was a fitness and car buff who traveled the world during 14 years in the military.

Walker and his brother, Johnny Walker, were born in Seoul, South Korea, to a Korean mother and an American father.

During their father's military career, they lived in California, Texas and Panama. But Walker always considered Maryland home.

After graduating from high school in Havre de Grace, Md., Walker joined the Army. He trained as a welder, completed airborne school and served in Korea, Germany, the Balkans and the United States.

"He'd decided to make a career of the military," Johnny Walker said. "He loved serving his country."

Walker, 33, was one of nine soldiers killed Jan. 8 when a Black Hawk helicopter on a routine medical flight to Baghdad was shot down. He was stationed at Fort Bragg.

Donald Walters couldn't wait for the war in Iraq to begin, his wife said, because "the sooner this war got started, the sooner he could come home and see his family."

That was the message Walters relayed to his wife of nine months, Stacie, in their last conversation.

Walters, 33, of Kansas City, Mo., was killed March 23 when the 507th Maintenance Company was ambushed.

Walters grew up in Oregon and joined the Army after he graduated from high school in 1988. He guarded captured Iraqi soldiers in the 1991 Gulf War.

After going through a divorce and remarrying, Walters re-enlisted, hoping to build a more stable life for his second wife and their 9-month-old daughter, Amber.

"He's a great guy, he's just full of life," said his father, Norman Walters. "He loves life, he loves people, he loves his children."

As a teenager, Jason M. Ward talked about joining the Army, but the responsibilities of fatherhood took precedence.

Shortly after graduation in 1997, Ward and his wife Jordan welcomed the first of two sons.

"He had talked about the Army off and on since high school, but he didn't want to be away from the boys all the time," said Jordan Ward. "Then we started talking about it again, and we thought it would be a good thing for us."

Ward, who enlisted in April 2002 and was stationed at Fort Riley, died Oct. 21 in Baghdad of a non-combat cause. His wife said he had been ill for several weeks.

"It was the hardest thing I've ever had to do, telling our son that he wasn't going to see his father again after all," Jordan Ward said. The couple also have a 2-year-old son.

"I just want people to know he was a great husband, a great guy," Jordan Ward said.

There's a picture of Kendall Damon Waters-Bey with his 10-year-old son, Kenneth, holding a fish they caught last year.

"He loved his son," said the Marine's father, Michael Waters-Bey. "He went into the Marines right out of high school to be able to provide for his son."

Waters-Bey, 29, of Baltimore and based at Camp Pendleton, was killed March 21 in a helicopter crash.

Besides his son from a previous marriage, he left behind his wife of 11 months, Belinda.

Waters-Bey grew up in Baltimore, the oldest of five children and the only son. In high school he loved swimming and track, and his sisters called him a jokester.

"He was always making faces, making people laugh," said Michelle Waters, 28. "And he loved to barbecue ribs, especially."

William R. Watkins III played football and sang in the choir during his Virginia high school days "he was a big fellow, but very artistic," said English teacher Edward Blain.

After joining the military, Watkins went back to school and helped student actors with a production that included some military elements: "He showed us how to salute," Blain said.

Watkins, 37, was killed April 7 in combat in Iraq.

Watkins leaves his wife of five years, Maj. Melissa Watkins, an intelligence officer stationed at Seymour Johnson Air Force Base, and his 11-month-old son, William. Melissa Watkins was expecting the couple's second child when her husband died.

Before serving in Iraq, Watkins was a Naval flight officer in the A-6E Intruder and F-14A Tomcat. His Navy comrades called him "Salty," said his uncle, Tucker C. Watkins IV, and Watkins kept the nickname when he transferred in 2001 to the Air Force.

"Bill's legacy will continue in the lives of his two children as it will in the memories that each of us holds dear of this truly caring and loving man," his family said in a statement.

Rebounding from testicular cancer, Aaron Weaver could have stayed put at Fort Bragg when his unit shipped out to Iraq last year. But that wasn't like him.

Weaver, 32, of Inverness, Fla., had worked hard to get himself back into shape after cancer surgery in 2002, and got a special medical clearance to fly his OH-58 observer helicopter in Iraq, his father, Mike Weaver said.

"He wanted to go to Iraq," his father said. "When you're in a group like that, you don't want your friends to leave you behind."

Weaver was on a Black Hawk helicopter en route to Baghdad for a checkup when the craft was shot down south of Fallujah, Iraq. The Jan. 8 crash killed eight other soldiers.

As an Army Ranger, Weaver survived the October 1993 battle of Mogadishu in Somalia that was recounted in the book and film, "Black Hawk Down." He helped save a buddy's life and is featured in a documentary on the battle.

Douglas J. Weismantle and his wife, Christine, had been married for four years and they planned to start a family when he returned from Iraq. She said his biggest concern about his assignment in Iraq involved her.

"He was worried about me. That was the way he is," she said. "He was a great guy. Everybody in my family loved him."

They met in high school and were together for 10 years.

The 28-year-old soldier from Fort Bragg was killed Oct. 13 when an Iraqi dump truck rolled on top of his vehicle in Baghdad. He was a native of Pittsburgh.

Weismantle joined the Army to earn money for college, where he wanted to earn an engineering degree.

Stephen M. Wells took his three sons on walks, built rockets with them and helped them stargaze with a telescope. His first priority was his family, his mother said.

"I can't explain in words what kind of young man he was," Elizabeth Wells said of her son. "He's always been joyful and laughing and used to find the better part of things."

The 29-year-old helicopter pilot from Egremont, Mass., died Feb. 25 when his helicopter crashed into the Euphrates River in Habbaniyah, Iraq. He was stationed at Fort Carson.

Wells joined the Army shortly after high school. He served in Bosnia, Thailand and South Korea.

"I couldn't have been prouder of anybody," John Wells said of his son. "What keeps me going is that he was doing what he wanted. It was his job, and he went. He was well on his way to a happy life."

Survivors include his wife, Tosha, and his sons, ages 9, 6 and 5.

Jeffrey M. Wershow had displayed great passion for the military since childhood, delving into military history books and becoming a self-taught military historian. After high school, he joined the Army and served for three years before going to community college and serving with the Florida National Guard.

"He stood out in a crowd because of the strong beliefs he not only expressed, but also exercised," family friend John Roscow said.

Wershow was called back to active duty just after Christmas 2002 and was deployed to the Mideast in late January. On July 6, Wershow, 22, of Gainesville, Fla., was killed by hostile fire in Iraq.

"I've known (Wershow) since he was a baby and he's always wanted to be a soldier," said Alachua County Commissioner Cynthia Chesnut, a friend of Wershow's family.

"We were all looking for him to be in the state legislature one day," Chestnut said.

Christopher J. Rivera Wesley joined the Army so he could see the world. When his grandmother died in Guam, he was a continent away, fighting in Iraq.

The two were close, and Wesley had lived with a grandmother for a time when she became ill.

"We thought he'd be able to come here and pay his respects to his grandmother," his uncle Joseph Wesley said from Guam. "He tried to come home, but it didn't work out. Now this happens and we're all taking it very hard."

Wesley, 26, of Portland, 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.

Wesley had graduated from high school in 1995, and joined the Army, but left to live with his grandmother in Guam before re-enlisting.

Donald Laverne Wheeler was affectionately known as "DJ" to his family, which included three sisters and eight brothers. In the military, he picked up the nickname "Sunshine."

"They called him Sunshine at Fort Hood in Texas because he was so tall he stood out from everyone else and he was always smiling," said one of his sisters, Andrea Barrett.

Wheeler, 22, of Concord, Mich., died Oct. 13 in an attack in Tikrit.

His mother, Mary Cay Wheeler, said he decided to enlist after the Sept. 11 attacks. He loved the Army but at the same time he missed his family, she said. They had a photo of Wheeler blown up to near life size and brought it to his sister's wedding reception because he couldn't attend.

"I shall always remember him, a big kid who gave everything he had on that dusty day," said Lt. Jason Price. "It's difficult to say goodbye."

Mason Douglas Whetstone, 30, died July 17 in Baghdad from non-combat injuries.

Whetstone, who was born at Hill Air Force Base, was stationed in Germany. He served in the Army from 1990 to 1994 and re-enlisted in August 1999.

Whetstone graduated from Dimond High School in Anchorage in 1990 and his mother lives in Anchorage.

If they ever had any doubt about their son Aaron Dean White's love of flying, Darrell and Karen White just had to look at the envelopes he'd sent home. On them, he'd drawn pictures of planes.

"That's the reason he volunteered. He told me 'Mom, I want to do it.' He didn't have to be a pilot he simply loved being in the air," Karen White said.

White, 27, of Shawnee, Okla., was one of four Camp Pendleton-based Marines who died in a helicopter crash May 19 in Iraq. He is survived by his wife, Michele, and 1-year-old daughter, Brianna Nicole.

"I think he had the calling to serve. He had to serve somebody, serve our country, serve the people," his mother said. "He needed the challenge the Marine Corps would give him."

Nathan D. White had faith faith in his religion and faith in the military. In an e-mail to his family, he said he trusted the officers conducting the war and hoped the effort would be worthy.

"Regardless of the destination, I feel I am trained and prepared for any mission or contingency," wrote White, 30, of Mesa, Ariz. "I have to have faith that those at the helm have fully weighed the consequences and have determined that the resulting good will far outweigh the bad."

White, the pilot of a F-A-18C Hornet, was killed April 2. The Navy believes his plane was brought down by a Patriot missile.

"Aviation was his passion," his family said in a statement. "He was a man who lived his dream. He died defending this country."

White grew up in Abilene, Texas, attended Brigham Young University and spent two years as a missionary in Japan. He was assigned to the Strike Fighter Squadron 195, based in Atsugi, Japan.

White's survivors include his wife, Akiko, and children Courtney, Austin and Zachary, all in Japan.

Steven White was already a nine-year Army veteran when he signed up for six more years, just before he headed to Iraq.

Based at Fort Hood, he liked to visit with family in the east Texas town of Fruitvale.

"He would always want to come home and visit with classmates and see his family," said his wife, Laniece White. "He was a simple man. It didn't take much to please him."

White, 29, was killed Aug. 13 when his armored troop carrier hit an anti-tank mine just outside Tikrit, Iraq. He was a mechanic and had been in Iraq for about four months.

He is also survived by four children, ages 16 months to 12 years.

William W. White was scheduled to be discharged in February, but that was delayed because of the war. Speakers at his funeral said he wanted to go with his unit to the Middle East out of concern for a fellow Marine who was nervous about going.

"That's the kind of guy he was. ... He always thought about someone else first," said his widow, Mychaele.

White, 24, of Brooklyn, N.Y., and based at Camp Pendleton, died March 29 when his military vehicle rolled into a canal.

White had wanted to move back to Brooklyn and join the fire department or pursue a career in law enforcement, relatives said.

"He was a fine gentleman, he set a good example, he led by example, so we have a lot to thank God for," said James Barnett Sefus, who was a spiritual mentor to White, as well as his martial arts instructor.

Joey Whitener made a surprise visit home to McDowell County, N.C., for the birth of his first child, Tristan. But then he had to return to Iraq. His wife e-mailed baby pictures to her husband, and used a Web cam to show him his son.

"I would turn on Web cam and let him see Tristan," Beth Whitener said. "He would just sit there and cry."

Whitener, 19, died Nov. 15 when two Black Hawk helicopters crashed in northern Iraq. He was based at Fort Campbell.

A member of the Navy JROTC in high school, Whitener had hoped the military could help him become a doctor, said Ruth Fortune, his foster mother. He was a kindhearted, respectful young man, she said.

Whitener came to visit Fortune and her husband after his son's birth.

"He was so proud of that baby," Fortune said. "When he started to leave, he gave me a big