Navy Seaman Joshua McIntosh

War might seem far away to youngsters growing up in Kingman, Ariz. Not to those who knew Joshua McIntosh.

McIntosh, 22, who enlisted in 2001, served in Iraq as a Navy hospitalman in charge of aiding injured and sick Marines. He died June 26, 2003, in Karbala, Iraq, after a non-combat related shooting. He was based in Twentynine Palms.

As Kingman High School students gathered last Veterans Day to remember those who served their country, taps was played after McIntosh's name, and that of another graduate killed on active duty, were read.

Then Principal Pat Mickelson asked military personnel, past or present, or their relatives to stand.

"I think you begin to see the scope of the cost this duty has on us," Mickelson said.

Army Sgt. David B. Parson

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.

Army Staff Sgt. Hector R. Perez

Sgt. Perez

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 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.

Army Pfc. Wilfredo Perez Jr.

Months before deploying to Iraq, Wilfredo Perez Jr. returned to his hometown 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. It was crazy. People were just coming out of nowhere. You don't know who's trying to hurt you," she said, recounting her brother's descriptions.

Army Sgt. Jaror C. Puello-Coronado

Sgt. Puello-Coronado

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, who worked for a security company, 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."

Army Spc. Christian C. Schulz

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.

Army Spc. Ramon Reyes Torres

Spc. Reyes Torres

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.

Army Sgt. Roger D. Rowe

Sgt. Rowe

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."

Army Lt. Jonathan D. Rozier

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.

Barry Staff Sgt. Barry Sanford Sr.

Barry Sanford Sr. had crisscrossed the world in his 15 years in the Army, but was never happier than he was with his family.

Sanford, 46, was in Germany before being transferred to Fort Campbell, Ky. Then two weeks after arriving at the base, he was off to Iraq, said Martin Hampton, his neighbor in Pleasant View, Tenn.

Sanford, a native of Aurora, Colo., died July 7, 2003, in a non-combat related incident.

Sanford was "a super guy," Hampton said. "He seemed so happy outside playing with his two daughters."

His former wife, Sheila, posted an Internet message after his death, addressing the family: "I grieve with you," she wrote. "Barry had grown into a responsible adult -- loving husband and father, serving his country so that we can be free."

Army Pfc. Corey L. Small

Pfc. Small

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 non-combat-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."

Marine Lance Cpl. Jason Andrew Tetrault

A former high school football player, Jason Andrew Tetrault had planned to join the football team at the Marine base in Twentynine Palms, Calif., 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."

Army Sgt. Melissa Valles

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."

Army Spc. Jeffrey M. Wershow

Spc. Wershow

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.

Army Sgt. 1st Class Christopher R. Willoughby

Before being called to active duty with the National Guard, Christopher R. Willoughby was preparing for a bright future as an accountant. He graduated from Auburn University in 2002 with an accounting degree, and one of his professors said he excelled in her rigorous class on advanced accounting topics.

He was a quiet student, but a favorite with classmates.

"The students all liked him. They loved working with him on group projects," professor Arlette Wilson said. "He was just a good guy."

Willoughby, 29, of Phenix City, Ala., died July 20 when the vehicle he was traveling in overturned in Baghdad. He was with a military intelligence battalion in the Army National Guard.

"It's a shame," Wilson said. "We're losing our best and our brightest."