Marine Cpl. Andres Aguilar Jr.

Andres Aguilar Jr. was a soccer nut, happiest when playing or watching it on TV.

"He taught me how to love and play soccer; he just loved the game so much," said Amanda Aguilar, his younger sister. "We used to call each other up whenever there was soccer on TV. Even if it was 10 o'clock at night, we'd go find a soccer ball and kick it around."

Aguilar, 21, of Victoria, Texas, died April 2 near Asad when his truck rolled over in a flash flood. He was assigned to Kaneohe Bay.

Aguilar scored a 1470 on his SAT and graduated in the top 15 percent of his high school class of more than 900 students, his sister said. In addition to playing soccer, he lettered in football, track and cross country.

Though officials at Princeton, Harvard, Yale, Duke and other universities urged him to apply, Aguilar filled out a form that asked Marine recruiters to approach him on his 18th birthday -- without telling his parents.

"With his grades, we didn't know he was going into the service," his sister said. "He wanted to do his duty and help others. It's just like him."

He also is survived by his parents, Olivia and Andres Sr.

Army Pfc. Jacob H. Allcott

In the south-central Idaho town of Burley, Mayor Jon Anderson was in shock when he heard that Jacob H. Allcott was dead. The young man's father, Bruce Allcott, is the Burley fire chief and his mother, Maureen, is respected.

"They have become such upstanding citizens of our community and such friends to so many that we are all just grieving so personally for their loss," Anderson said.

Allcott, 21, of Caldwell, Idaho, was killed April 22 by a roadside bomb in Baghdad. He was a 2002 high school graduate and was assigned to Fort Hood.

"He was very intelligent. He was going to make his own way in the world," said Julie Yamamoto, his former principal. "He wasn't going to be swayed by others. He was going to do something with his life."

A picture from his 2001-2002 yearbook shows Allcott in a group photo for the political science club. A quotation from Elbert Hubbard under his senior photo reads, "To escape criticism -- do nothing, say nothing, be nothing."

"He was a young man who knew going in what the potential was" for danger, said Bruce Allcott. "He joined the Army voluntarily after things had already started over there."

Marine Cpl. Salem Bachar

To say that Salem Bachar was multitalented would be putting it mildly. He played a lot of instruments. He was on the wrestling and tracks teams. He studied physics. He was a very good amateur magician.

"He was so happy, so full of life, so energetic. He was the spotlight wherever he went," said his wife, Kristine Bachar.

Bachar, 20, of Chula Vista, Calif., was killed April 13 during enemy action in Anbar province. He was a 2003 high school graduate, was assigned to Camp Pendleton and was on his second tour.

"My son-in-law was the type of person who would take his shoes and shirt off and give them to someone who needed them," said Maggie Prendiz. "If he saw someone broken down on the highway, he would turn around and help them."

Bachar had a penchant for quoting jokes by Carlos Mencia, a comedian featured on Comedy Central. He was an intelligence specialist who spoke English, Spanish and Arabic.

"He could have done anything he wanted and chose the military," said his former principal, Gary Chapman. "I'll always remember his big grin. He could go to any group in the school and get along with them."

Army Spc. Scott M. Bandhold

After graduating from high school, Scott M. Bandhold entered show business, dancing at Walt Disney World, then moving on to cruise ships and corporate events. Finally he took a job at a casino in Portugal.

"He was a really happy, optimistic, positive person," said his father, Hank Bandhold. "Even when things were hard, the sky was always blue and the sun was always shining."

Bandhold, 37, of North Merrick, N.Y., was killed April 12 when a roadside bomb detonated near his Humvee in Misiab. He was assigned to Fort Hood.

From Portugal, he watched the Twin Towers fall. After divorcing, he returned home and worked as a collection agent. At age 34, Bandhold joined the Army, his bad knees preventing him from continuing in show business.

"He could talk a starving pig off a garbage truck," said his brother, Joe Bandhold. "He was like this dancing, war guy. It was a little strange, but he made it work."

He also survived by two children, Mariana, 10, and Afonzo, 9.

"We did a lot of fun stuff together, but I wish I had spent more time with him," said another brother, Donald Bandhold. "That's what I'm kicking myself now for."

Army Staff Sgt. Metodio A. Bandonill

Metodio A. Bandonill met his wife, Charmaine, through a Web site in 2003. A year later, in June 2004, they met face-to-face at Shannon Airport in Ireland.

Charmaine said she was always distrustful of finding romance on the Internet, but that all changed. "The first time I met him, I knew he was the one," she said.

A month later, Bandonill proposed.

Bandonill, 29, of Honolulu, died April 24 in Baghdad of injuries from a roadside bomb. He was assigned to Fort Campbell and was on his second tour.

Bandonill graduated salutatorian of his high school class in the Philippines. His mother remembers him as a ham who enjoyed entertaining her with speeches he was learning in school.

"I'm very proud, but now I'm very sad," said Virginia Bandonill. She said he helped on the family farm and worked in a restaurant to contribute to the family's finances. He had been with the Army since 1997.

He and Charmaine last spoke to each other a day before his death, when he had three minutes left on his phone card to tell her that he missed her. "He would tell me, 'You're my fuel, you keep me going,'" said Charmaine.

Marine Cpl. David A. Bass

David A. Bass was remembered as the guy with a big heart, even though he only stood around 5-feet-3.

"He was the guy who would bring a smile to your face and could turn anything into a joke. He also made sure no one was left out of the group," said Cpl. Charles Lovern.

Bass, 20, of Nashville, Tenn., was killed April 2 when the vehicle he was riding in rolled over during a flash flood in western Iraq. He was a 2003 high school graduate and was assigned to Camp Pendleton.

Bass, a disbursing pay agent, tried to blend in with the natives of southern California. For instance, he went out and bought a $500 surfboard.

"Only after he strutted down the beach and jumped in the water, did he think of buying a training board. The first time he surfed he couldn't even get his knee onto the surfboard and kept wiping out. My wife never let him live that down," said Lovern.

He also is survived by his mother, Tammy Delle, and father, John Bass.

"He always talked about how he wanted to be a millionaire and have a huge house just like Hugh Hefner. I guess disbursing was the perfect job for him," added Lovern.

Marine Lance Cpl. Jacob W. Beisel

In winters, Jacob W. Beisel hunted in the woods surrounding his home. In summers, he would dive into a river with a spear and resurface with a fish. He was a straight-A student, but family members say they never saw him crack a book.

And since he was a little boy, he wanted to be a Marine.

"Second-best didn't cut it in Jacob's eyes," said uncle Jim Johanson.

Beisel, 21, of Lackawaxen, Pa., was killed March 31 during combat operation in Anbar province. He was assigned to Camp Lejeune and was on his second tour.

"He was just a really fun, fun-loving kid," said Amy Newcomer, Beisel's friend since kindergarten. "A goofball who got along with everybody. It didn't matter what clique you were in."

Within six months of graduating high school in 2003, Beisel was on his way to basic training at Parris Island.

"I think he's the kind of student that everyone wants to have," said Joann Hudak, Beisel's former principal. "Quiet, went about his business, respectful, a really solid young man from a good family."

Beisel is survived by his parents, Albert and Mary.

Army Cpl. Joseph A. Blanco

Whether at home or abroad, Joseph A. Blanco doted on his 4-year-old nephew, Derek.

"Anytime he would write to us in letters or e-mails or call us, the very first thing to come out his mouth was, 'How's Derek doing? Send me pictures of him. Tell me about him and things he's done,'" said his sister, Candy.

Blanco, 25, of Bloomington, Calif., was killed April 11 by a roadside bomb and small-arms fire in Taji. He was assigned to Fort Hood and was on his second tour.

Blanco enlisted to get help paying for school because he wanted to study either art or computers, in case a career in law enforcement didn't work out.

His sister said she loved watching movies with him. "I don't know how many times he made us watch Bruce Lee and Steven Seagal movies," she said.

Blanco loved anything that had to do with martial arts and was working on his second black belt in Hap Ki Do. He will be remembered for his boisterous laugh.

"He had a funny laugh," she said. "When he laughed, everybody would hear. My mom would be in the living room and he'd be in the bedroom with his doors closed and she could hear him."

He also is survived by his father, Jose, and mother, Ceferina.

Army Pvt. Michael E. Bouthot

Michael E. Bouthot had two wishes in his young life.

"What stuck with me about Michael was that he said he wanted to graduate from high school to make his mother proud, and he wanted to serve in the military to make his country proud," said his former principal, Brian S. Bentley.

Bouthot, 19, of Fall River, Mass., was killed April 22 by a roadside bomb in Baghdad. He graduated high school in 2004 and was assigned to Fort Hood.

Bouthot graduated from the culinary arts program at a vocational high school. "He loved being in culinary arts, especially in the baking," said Bentley.

"Mike was a kid who liked structure and he felt the order of the military was a very viable way of getting ahead," Bentley said. "I thought that was very grown-up of him."

Bouthot loved hard rock, and also sang and played the drums in local bands. His teachers said his outgoing personality made him "a born leader" with his peers.

"He was always laughing and making us laugh," said Nathan Champigny, a schoolmate. "There was never a dull moment with Michael," said Ashley Page, another schoolmate.

He is survived by his parents, Larry and Susan.

Army Pfc. Roland E. Calderon-Ascencio

As a child, Roland E. Calderon-Ascencio severely injured his ankle in a biking accident, keeping him out of sports. Instead, he devoted most of his efforts to academics and made the honor roll in high school.

"He wanted to be a poet, a businessman, even a model at one point," said his mother, Rosa Milagros Ascencio. "The military thing came from nowhere."

Calderon-Ascencio, 21, of Miami, was killed April 12 by a roadside bomb south of Baghdad. He was assigned to Fort Hood.

His good grades earned him a trip to Moscow while he was in middle school. At 12, he used magazine cutouts and cardboard paper to create a colorful 8-page book of poetry he wrote for his mother.

In late 2004, after weeks of jogging to shed some extra pounds, Calderon-Ascencio joined the Army, promising his worried family everything would be fine.

He also is survived by his wife, Mirta, and twin boys, Rolandito and A.J.

His oldest sister, Evelyn Rauda, said that during a January phone call with him, she urged him to come back soon.

"I told him, 'You have two sons,'" said the sister. "And he said 'I know. But it's my duty, sis, it's my duty.'"

Army Staff Sgt. Darrell P. Clay

The pull of the military was strong for Darrell P. Clay. His father was a noncommissioned officer who put in more than 20 years before retiring, and two of his uncles fought in World War II. His brother, David D. Clay Jr., is a pilot for the Army, and a sister, Virginia D. King, is an Army clerk at Fort Bragg.

"With the history of my family, we've had someone in the Army pretty much from World War II on, and never lost a family member," said his father, David Clay. "So we've been pretty fortunate until now."

Darrell Clay, 34, of Fayetteville, N.C., was killed April 1 in Baghdad when a bomb exploded near his patrol. He was assigned to Baumholder, Germany.

He graduated high school in 1990 and attended Shaw University in Raleigh for one year. After that, he decided to be in the Army full time. Clay had planned to stay in the Army for his full 20 years before retiring.

"What I'll remember most is he was always singing and playing and joking around with people," said David Clay.

He also is survived by his wife, Evonne; sons Varius, 3, and Desmond, 11; a daughter, Kyla, 8.

Army Spc. David S. Collins

Spc. Collins

Within a week or so after the 2001 terror attacks, David S. Collins had contacted a military recruiter.

"He had a big heart," said his mother, Lynn Dean. "Somebody would ask him for help, he was right there. He'd see the protesters and he'd say, 'Doing what I do allows them to do what they're doing.'"

Collins, 24, of Jasper, Ga., was killed April 9 in Ramadi by a roadside bomb. He was assigned to Fort Campbell and was on his second tour in Iraq.

"We are devastated by his loss, but extremely proud of his courage and bravery. He was a selfless young man who will be missed by many," said his father, Jack Collins.

"Though it is natural to look forward to rejoining your loved ones at home, David felt that his service in the Army was critically important Ñ so important that he re-enlisted during his first tour there."

He also is survived by his wife, Mara, and their two children, Elizabeth, 2, and James, 6 months.

"He was just a fine citizen. Just a fine, outstanding young man. The students loved him, the teachers loved him, he was just a great kid," said Fredna Raber, his former high school counselor.

Army Pfc. James F. Costello III

Pfc. Costello

It was fitting that James F. Costello III wound up with a cavalry regiment when he enlisted in the Army in 2004. He used to listen with amazement to tales of how his paternal great-grandfather in the U.S. cavalry chased the likes of Pancho Villa.

"He was a history buff, his hero was George Patton, and he felt so strongly about the mission in Iraq," said his mother, Marie Costello.

Costello, 27, of St. Louis, was killed April 11 by a roadside bomb and small-arms fire in Taji. He was assigned to Fort Hood.

In high school, where he graduated in 1996 graduate, he played four years for the school's hockey team. He also was a fan of NASCAR and driver Tony Stewart and would often go to races at Gateway International Raceway.

After high school, Costello spent several years working for the U.S. Postal Service. He passed up a full-time job there to join the Army.

"He was very fun-loving, very outgoing," said close friend, Matt Pretto. "And very patriotic, especially when it came to the major U.S. wars, he was really into the history of it."

He also is survived by his father, James.