Marine Sgt. Jonathan W. Lambert

Sgt. Lambert

Jonathan W. Lambert always wanted to be a Marine -- and in a recent 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."

Army Staff Sgt. William T. Latham

Staff Sgt. Latham

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.

Army Spc. Cedric L. Lennon

Spc. Lennon

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.

Army Spc. Zachariah Long

Spc. Long

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?"'

Marine Lance Cpl. Gregory MacDonald

Lance Cpl. MacDonald

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."

Army Sgt. Atanasio Haro Marin Jr.

Sgt. Marin

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."'

Army Sgt. Keman L. Mitchell

Sgt. Mitchell

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.

Army Spc. Paul T. Nakamura

Spc. Nakamura

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."

Army Pvt. Kenneth A. Nalley

Pvt. Nalley

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."

Army Cpl. Gavin L. Neighbor

Cpl. Neighbor

A couple of Gavin L. Neighbor's fellow paratroopers already home early from Iraq felt guilty that Neighbor had died, his uncle says.

"I thanked them for helping make him what he was. And they said, 'He helped make us what we are,' " Mike Bonham said after Neighbor's funeral.

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.

Army Pfc. Branden F. Oberleitner

Pfc. Oberleitner

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," said friend Kevin Earhart.

"He's described as a model soldier, a soldier others could count on, turn to and laugh with," said another friend, William Owen.

Oberleitner, 20, of Worthington, Ohio, was killed by enemy fire June 6 in Iraq. He was stationed at Fort Campbell.

"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, said family friend Keith Luce.

"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.

Army Spc. Richard P. Orengo

Spc. Orengo

Richard P. Orengo had worked since 1996 as a police officer with 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.

Army Pfc. Kevin Ott

Pfc. Ott

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 attacks, and even when he was deployed to Iraq, his father says, he wasn't afraid of dying.

"He was completely at peace," said Charles Ott.

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.