Army Spc. Michael I. Edwards

Sgt. Herbert Bloomer Jr. has a fond -- and stinky -- memory of his friend Michael I. Edwards.

It was after they had done some gas-mask training: "We were in this small office doing paperwork, someone came in and passed some real gas, and immediately we both grabbed our masks," Boomer said. "I didn't even say anything to him. He just knew."

Edwards, 26, who was born on the Caribbean island of Antigua and lived in Fairbanks, Alaska, was killed Jan. 7 in a helicopter crash near Tal Afar. He was assigned to Anchorage.

He graduated from high school in New York City and entered the Reserves in 2000 and the Guard in 2003. He attended the University of Alaska at Fairbanks in 2002, studying aviation.

He is survived by his fiancee, Danielle O'Brien, and daughter, Destiny, 1. He also has a son, Elijah, who lives in Fairbanks.

"He definitely had the Caribbean attitude and flow about him. He was a lot of fun to be around," Bloomer said.

The last time Bloomer saw Edwards, Destiny was a newborn. "He was a very excited, proud new father," Bloomer said. "He made a special trip by the armory to show me the baby."

Army Sgt. Nathan R. Field

Nathan R. Field showed off his fun-loving streak when he and a buddy painted their upper bodies blue, the dominant color of his high school.

The two cheered and screamed for the football team all evening and, whenever the team scored, they went down on the field and did push-ups, said his mother, Mary Field.

Field, 23, of Lehigh, Iowa, was killed Jan. 7 in Umm Qasr when his vehicle was hit by a civilian vehicle. He was assigned to Pocahontas.

He enjoyed hunting, fishing and camping and was the senior class president in high school, where he graduated in 2000. He also was a wrestler and manager of the football team, and worked as a counselor at the Jerry Rabiner Memorial Boys Ranch in Webster County.

He was a bundle of energy who, in the words of his mother, "ate life."

After the 2001 terror attacks, his unit went to North Carolina and one of the military's main ammunition shipping points. He accompanied ships to Belgium, France and Germany.

Fellow soldiers said he was a devoted and honest friend, according to his father, Bill Field. "If Nathan liked you, there wasn't anything he wouldn't do for you," Bill Field said.

Army Sgt. Dennis J. Flanagan

Lt. Col. Mike Harmes said he'll never forget how the sole of Dennis J. Flanagan's shoe became detached one day during JROTC, but Flanagan completed exercises including marching and rifle firing without complaint.

"I said, 'Why didn't you tell anybody?'" Harmes recalled. "He said, 'I didn't want to tell anybody. I didn't want to make waves.'"

Flanagan, 22, of Inverness, Fla., was killed Jan. 20 in Hawijah by a roadside bomb. He was assigned to Fort Campbell and was on his second tour.

Flanagan ran cross country in high school, made the varsity soccer squad and was cadet commander of the school's Civil Air Patrol squadron.

Many teachers said Flanagan was wise beyond his years and could step back and see the big picture. He graduated in 2001.

Flanagan was attending Central Florida Community College but enlisted with the Army a week after the 2001 terrorist attacks.

"He said he just couldn't stand around and let this stuff happen to our country," said classmate Ken Crandall. "He didn't feel comfortable just sitting back, which I think is admirable."

He is survived by his parents, Dennis and Patricia.

Army Spc. Matthew C. Frantz

Spc. Frantz

Matthew C. Frantz's fiancee, Amalia Cerbin, said Matt once told her a story about a three-hour conversation he had in Iraq with a man who spoke no English. Matt spoke only broken Arabic.

"With Matt, you don't have to say anything," Cerbin said. "He can understand you even if you're not saying it the right way."

Frantz, 23, of Lafayette, Ind., was killed by a roadside bomb Jan. 20 in Hawijahby. He was assigned to Fort Campbell.

Frantz entered the Marines after graduating from high school in 2001 but suffered a serious knee injury before completing basic training. Determined to stay, he took his appeal all the way to a general but lost.

He came home and worked as a salesman at a Best Buy store until his knee healed well enough for the Army to accept him. His military job in counter intelligence was perfect for him, according to loved ones.

"He could walk into a room of 50 people he'd never seen before ... and come out with 50 e-mail addresses and possibly as many friends," said his older brother, Christopher Frantz, who is in the Navy.

He also is survived by his parents, Marilyn and Jim.

Army Chief Warrant Officer 2 Ruel M. Garcia

In October, Ruel M. Garcia's grandfather got a call from his grandson, telling him he was going back to Iraq for the second time.

"I advised him not to go out alone and be careful because there are so many roadside bombs," said Nicolas R. Garcia. "He told me, 'Yes, Grandpa, I will be very careful.'"

Garcia, 34, of Wahiawa, Hawaii, was killed Jan. 16 when his helicopter was shot down in Baghdad. He was assigned to Fort Hood.

Friend Benny Quiseng said Garcia, who was born in the Philippines, had graduated from a college in Manila with a degree in electrical engineering. Once in America, he had to start all over again.

He attended the adult high school at Waipahu at nights to get a high school diploma. With that, he got into the Air Force in 1992, where he served for four years. After he became a naturalized citizen, he switched to the Army to attend helicopter flight school.

His grandfather said Garcia loved to play tennis. "When he was living in the Philippines, he wrote to me asking for a tennis racket, so I made him several and sent them to him."

He also is survived by his wife, Apple.

Marine Cpl. Albert P. Gettings

Cpl. Gettings

Dr. Carmen Nocera was Albert P. Gettings' baseball coach and recalls his former catcher as a quiet leader.

"He was a little reserved, but you could always count on him," Nocera said. "He was one of my favorite players. You love those kids who work hard and get the most out of their abilities."

Gettings, 27, of New Castle, Pa., died Jan. 5 of wounds from small-arms fire in Fallujah. He was assigned to Camp Lejeune.

"There are no words to describe him," said his wife, Stephanie. "He was sweet, he was loving and he was my best friend. He knew me better than I know myself. I cherish every minute I got to spend with him."

Gettings enlisted in April 2002 and eventually was assigned to a supplies and accounting job. His parents were happy Ñ but he wasn't.

"He could have sat behind a desk and completed his four years but he didn't see it that way," said his father, father, Dave. "He felt the job of a Marine was to protect people."

Her uncle, Dennis Joseph Sr., recalls Albert as a youth playing baseball on a team with his son, Denny. "We learned to love Albert in a hurry," he said.

Army Maj. William F. Hecker III

William F. Hecker III was known to call himself "slightly eccentric." He studied Mark Twain's novels, recently edited a book on Edgar Allan Poe and loved baseball.

"My daughter-in-law used to call him a Renaissance man. He loved good wine and good coffee and good books," said his mother, Nancy Hecker. "But mostly he loved his family and his country."

Hecker, 37, of St. Louis, was killed Jan. 5 in Najaf by a roadside bomb. He was assigned to Fort Hood.

He graduated from the U.S. Military Academy at West Point in 1991, where he studied engineering management and sang in the glee club, and received a master's degree in English from the University of Oregon in 2000. He went back to West Point, where he was an assistant English professor for three years.

In the 1990s, he was stationed in Oklahoma, Germany, and Bosnia and Herzegovina. He studied Twain and presented a paper about baseball and patriotism. He also edited a book about Poe's stint as a West Point cadet.

In the evenings, he would read to his children: Alexandra, 10, Victoria, 7, Cordelia, 4, and William, 2. He also is survived by his wife, Richelle.

Army Sgt. Matthew D. Hunter

Former teachers of Matthew D. Hunter said his positive attitude made him a perfect soldier.

"He was a very team-oriented individual and very selfless, extremely selfless," said Hunter's former band director Pat Garrett.

Hunter, 31, of Valley Grove, W.Va., was killed Jan. 23 when an explosive detonated near his patrol in Baghdad. He was assigned to Fort Campbell, where he served as a health care specialist, and entered the military in 1995.

"I remember we talked a lot. I always remember he said he wanted to go into the military," said classmate Richard Dunlevy.

Hunter showed off his dress blues for classmates years after graduation.

"I do remember our 10-year reunion we had in 2002. He came in his uniform, his dress uniform. I do remember that was the last time I saw him," said Dunlevy.

He is survived by his parents, Fred and Kathy.

"My heart aches for Matt's family, but I know his spirit is in a place much closer than Baghdad now; he is in our hearts and memories forever," said friend Dorothy Minch Spickler.

Chief Warrant Officer 2 Kyle E. Jackson

Kyle E. Jackson's family is particularly proud of something he invented called a "brass catcher."

The invention, of which Kyle handmade about 70 and distributed to other pilots, catches shell casings from assault rifles and keeps the casings from getting under the helicopter pedals. His goal was to prevent accidents.

"My father is very proud of that," said Kyle's brother Michael

Jackson, 28, of Sarasota, Fla., died Jan. 13 when his helicopter was shot down near Al Sukar. He was assigned to Fort Drum.

After four years with the Marines, Kyle Jackson worked as a manager of a Little Caesars Pizza, joined his family's cabinetry business and worked for a roofing business. But Michael said Kyle "just wasn't fulfilled doing stuff like that."

So Kyle Jackson joined the Army and trained to fly. The kid who once wore green spiked hair and a dog collar hit the books.

Jackson was an outdoorsman. "He liked to shoot guns and ride motorcycles," said his mother, Susan Jackson. "You know, typical guy stuff."

He is survived by his wife, Betsy, and two daughters, Alia, 9, and Keira, 2.

Marine Lance Cpl. Jeriad P. Jacobs

Last summer, Jeriad P. Jacobs dropped by the small grocery store he had once worked for as a bagger, and casually mentioned to Harvey Wall, one of the owners, that his unit was headed for Fallujah.

"That's all you hear about on TV, is that Fallujah," Wall recalled. "I told him I was concerned, but he just said that's what he had trained for."

Jacobs, 19, of Clayton, N.C., was killed Jan. 7 by small-arms fire near Fallujah. He was assigned to Camp Lejeune.

Family members say Jacobs followed in the footsteps of his uncle and stepfather, both former Marines. He enlisted in April 2004 before he graduated from high school.

"It was in his blood," said his uncle, Rep. Ron Sutton.

Staff Sgt. Marinica Ariton, his Marine recruiter, said that Jacobs was one of the best he had ever signed up. "He was a really good kid, and a lot of the others really looked up to him," Ariton said.

He is survived by his parents, Janet and Daryl Graybill.

"He wouldn't put up with nothing from nobody, but he would give you the shirt off his back," said his friend, Brandon Dodd. "If you needed anything he was right there."

Army Sgt. Joshua A. Johnson

In high school, Joshua A. Johnson's art teacher, Patrick Murphy, recalled a student who was a deep thinker who liked art and, at one point, wanted to become a philosopher.

"I tried to talk him out of it," Murphy said. "I said, 'Josh, I don't think you're going to get a job.'"

After graduating in 1999, Murphy said his former student stopped by several times to update him on his plans. After boot camp, Johnson had gained confidence, but not arrogance.

"It raised him up; he became a different guy," Murphy said. "It was a clarity that he seemed to develop that he didn't have before. That was neat."

Johnson, 24, of Richford, Vt., was killed Jan. 25 in a rocket attack on his vehicle in Ramadi. He was assigned to Jericho.

As the years passed, Johnson told Murphy stories of the months he spent in Afghanistan and also heard tales from an air-assault course. It was an amazing change for Johnson, Murphy said.

"The kid was falling down the stairs in seventh grade with his backpack," Murphy said, "and now he's jumping out of helicopters."

He is survived by his mother and stepfather, Laura and Kevin Royea.

Army Spc. Robert T. Johnson

In the 805th Military Police Company, there were two Robert Johnsons. One was Spc. Robert Curtis Johnson and the other was Spc. Robert T. Johnson.

The situation was a source of consternation for their superiors. While on an annual training mission to Germany, the two were paired for guard duty so their bosses could keep track of them.

"They called us the baby powder post," said Robert Curtis Johnson, "for Johnson and Johnson."

Robert T. Johnson, 20, of Erwin, N.C., was killed Jan. 7 in Umm Qasr when his vehicle was hit by a civilian vehicle. He was assigned to Raleigh.

Amanda Johnson, his mother, wasn't surprised when her son told her he was joining the Army Reserve. He graduated the next year and hoped to become either an MP or a Black Hawk pilot.

"I always told him, 'Whatever life brings you, you're not going to find it in this little town. You got to get out and you got to get away from home,'" she said.

He did get away. After joining the 805th, he traveled to Missouri, Alabama, Germany and, in November, Iraq.

He also is survived by his father, Thomas Johnson, and stepmother, Betsy Johnson.

Petty Officer First Class Michael Anthony Jordan

Michael Anthony Jordan's older brother had a sense his career path might include ships.

"Ever since he was a boy, instead of buying Sports Illustrated, he would buy Navy books," said his brother, Danny Jordan. "I can't even remember him getting in an argument with anybody."

Jordan, 35, of Augusta, Ga., died Jan. 13 in an automobile accident Friday in Manama, Bahrain. He was apparently in a taxicab when a car rammed the cab's passenger side, his family said.

Jordan enlisted in the Navy right after high school. He was the youngest of eight children, born to the family of a nursing assistant and a homemaker. As a teenager, he lifted weights and played high school football, but his passion was the Navy.

During his military career, Jordan traveled to Greece, Italy, Iraq and Africa and had worked as a traffic controller on his ship. He was assigned to Bahrain.

Jordan and his wife, Diana, had been married for a decade. They have two daughters, Alice, 8, and Elizabeth, a newborn. They had planned to buy a house in the Washington suburbs this year.

Army Spc. Dustin L. Kendall

As a waiter at a Ruby Tuesday restaurant, Dustin L. Kendall could make customers smile just by approaching their table.

"He was very outgoing, very flirtatious," said co-worker Amanda Ballew. "He was just a happy-go-lucky guy."

Kendall, 21, of Conway, Ark., was killed Jan. 15 when his vehicle rolled over in Baqubah. He was assigned to Fort Carson.

"He's one of the most likable and charismatic people I've ever known," Allan Stanford, a former roommate. "Always smiling, there's nothing you could do to keep him from smiling and he also was one of the most generous people I've ever known."

The son of missionaries, Kendall grew up in a variety of places. When his parents moved to Europe last year to continue their missionary work, Kendall stayed to continue classes at the University of Central Arkansas in Conway.

Kendall had studied business and considered a career in golf-course design. "He loved to golf," Ballew said. "He was very competitive in sports and in girls."

Larry Parrish, another of Kendall's restaurant co-workers, recalled a fun-loving guy, one who purposely drove a golf cart into a pond one chilly February day.

Army Chief Warrant Officer 3 Rex C. Kenyon

Rex C. Kenyon was amazed he was paid to fly helicopters.

"He did what he did and loved what he did," said his father, Rex Kenyon. "He used to say, 'Where else can you work where they give you a $30 million helicopter, all the gas you wanted and all you have to do is fly around?'"

Kenyon, 34, of El Segundo, Calif., was killed Jan. 16 when his helicopter was shot down in Baghdad. He was assigned to Fort Hood.

In high school, Kenyon was captain of the cross-country team, an honor student and an Eagle Scout. He loved to cruise in a cranberry MGB convertible.

"Chris was an outgoing, likable young man," said Terry Crystal, Kenyon's high school cross-country coach. "If you asked for help or assistance, he was always glad to help you or assist you."

As a freshman at California Polytechnic State University at San Luis Obispo during the Gulf War, Kenyon's hand shot up when Army recruiters asked a class who would like to fly helicopters. His love of flight took him all around the world: Germany, Bosnia, South Korea.

He is survived by a wife and 5-year-old daughter.