Marine Lance Cpl. Benito A. Ramirez

Lance Cpl. Ramirez

Benito A. Ramirez was a rambunctious child and teenager. His cousin Eduardo Vega said you would have to hide all the things of value before he came over.

"Hurricanes would leave a smaller path than Benito," he said tenderly.

But after the 2003 high school graduate returned from Iraq, "The slouching was gone. So was the gut," Vega said. The kind eyes, though, "They were still there."

Ramirez, 21, of Edinburg, Texas, was killed May 21 in Fallujah from a roadside bomb. He was assigned to Camp Pendleton and was on his third tour.

His father, Felipe, remembers a young mischievous boy who loved nothing more than hunting and fishing with the family. "He was funny, very talkative and just all-around great kid," he said. "We did a lot of fishing together."

He also is survived by his wife, Juliana.

Vega said it seemed there was no stopping Ramirez once he made up his mind to do something. He was not one to watch things happen. He said everyone should look to his cousin as an example, and live life as they want.

"Benito is now in our hearts and our minds saying, 'Let's go. Andale. Vamos.'"

Army Staff Sgt. Gavin B. Reinke

Carole Reinke didn't marry an outgoing person, but once people got to know Gavin B. Reinke, he would do anything to help them.

When they lived on base, for example, he would take the time to mow the lawn of his neighbor, a single mother.

"Everybody that knows him is just as proud as they can be of what he did," Reinke said. "He was an amazing man. As a friend, as a father, as a husband, and it carried over to being a soldier."

Reinke, 32, born in New Jersey and lately of Pueblo, Colo., was killed May 4 by a roadside bomb near Baghdad. He was assigned to Fort Leonard Wood and was on his second tour.

He graduated high school and joined the military in 1996. When his work day was over, he relaxed by hunting deer, elk and turkeys, fishing and riding all-terrain vehicles. Usually, 3-year-old daughter Kayleigh was by his side.

Karen Reinke, the soldier's mother, said his final e-mail was about hope and longing. "He talked about how much he was looking forward to his R&R and spending time with his wife and little girl, and not to worry about him," she said.

Army 1st. Sgt. Carlos N. Saenz

When news reached Iraq that Carlos N. Saenz's 14-year-old son, Juan, did well in a science fair, Saenz banged on another soldier's door to wake him up so they could go shopping.

"Oh, my son! Oh, my son!" Saenz shouted with glee, according to the soldier's e-mail. "He's going to be the smart one in the family."

Saenz, 46, of Las Vegas, died May 5 when a roadside bomb struck his vehicle about 60 miles south of Baghdad. He was assigned to Abilene.

Saenz had served as a soldier in the regular Army, Nevada National Guard and Army Reserves, as well as working for Nevada Test Site security firm Wackenhut Services Inc., for more than 20 years.

"He'd be the first to tell you not to remember him as a hero," said Chuck Giesler, Saenz's friend and brother-in-law. "He'd want us to remember him as a good father, a good son, a good soldier."

He also is survived by his wife, Nanette, who he met during the first Iraq war.

"He enjoyed his tour with the Iraqis. He loved the Iraqis, loved the mission," said his sister-in-law Jeany Davidson. "He saw himself as a peacemaker over there."

Army 1st Lt. Robert A. Seidel III

As a young boy, Robert A Seidel III watched the Civil War miniseries "North and South" and was drawn to the famous generals. He attended Civil War re-enactments in Gettysburg and once toyed with the idea of becoming a re-enactor.

"Way back when we were really young, we'd go up to our grandma's attic and get into my uncle's old military uniforms. We'd go out into the woods and play Army. He loved that," said his younger brother, Stephen.

Seidel, 23, of Gettysburg, Pa., was killed by a roadside bomb May 18. He was a 2004 graduate of West Point and was assigned to Fort Drum.

He loved country music, ratty jeans and a beat-up John Deere hat. More recently he had developed an interest in NASCAR and ventured to Daytona, Fla., one year with friends to watch the races.

"He had a dry sense of humor," said his former football coach, Doug Williams. "He'd say something, and it'd take you five minutes to get it. He'd bring a smile to your face."

He also is survived by his parents, Sandy and Robert.

Seidel last spoke to his parents on Mother's Day. "He said he loved us, and he couldn't let Mother's Day go by without calling," Sandy Seidel said.

Army Pfc. Stephen P. Snowberger III

Miles Coleman, an Army Reservist from Florida, was returning home in uniform when he met Stephen P. Snowberger III in a New York airport.

They talked for a couple of hours, swapping stories about life in the Army. When it was time for them to go their separate ways, Coleman asked Snowberger to stay in touch. He did, up until the day he died.

"I want you to know that he was a good soldier," Coleman wrote to Debbie Brown, Snowberger's mother.

Snowberger, 18, of Lopez, Pa., died May 11 in a roadside bomb in Baghdad. He was assigned to Fort Drum.

Snowberger had wanted to join the military from the time he entered the Red Rock Job Corps Center in November 2003, said Jim McGee, director of the job corps center.

Snowberger was thankful for the education and job skills he had gotten from his country and wanted to give back, "even to the point of giving his life for his country," McGee said.

His mother said she was hesitant when he first told her he was enlisting. "I said to him, 'You know what's going on right now, don't you?' And he said, 'Mom, I'm not afraid of the sandbox.' That's how he was," she said.

He also is survived by his father, Paul.

Army Spc. Brandon L. Teeters

Liz Coffman dated Brandon L. Teeters on and off from March until October of last year, thankful to have known the soldier.

"I will forever remember his big smile, that laugh that always made you want to smile, those gorgeous blue eyes of his, and most of all the way he was so excited to serve his country," she wrote in an online message board. "He was so energetic and full of life. I am so proud to have known him in my life."

Teeters, 21, of Lafayette, La., died May 12 in a German hospital of injuries sustained when a bomb exploded near his vehicle in Baghdad on April 20. He was assigned to Fort Hood.

Teeters, who earned a GED, enlisted in June 2004 and served as a Cavalry Scout.

U.S. Army Brig. Gen. David Rubenstein, who gave a eulogy, said it was an honor to lay Teeters to rest, and that he exemplified the best the nation had to offer. "He was a hero," Rubenstein said, "and he gave his life to protect our way of life."

Teeters' leaders, Rubenstein said, recognized him as a budding leader. Teeters was in a position to give orders to his peers, but he would still socialize with them afterward.

He is survived by his parents, Glenn and Tammy.

Army Spc. Teodoro Torres Jr.

Teodoro Torres Jr. could be counted on whenever you needed a bit of muscle or a shoulder to lean on.

"I asked him, I said, 'I bought a house and I need your help.' He said, 'When do you need me?' That's what kind of person he was," said his cousin, Jorge Olmeda.

Torres, 29, raised in Rochester, N.Y., and lately of Las Vegas, was killed May 5 by a roadside bomb in Baghdad. He was assigned to Abilene.

Army Brig. Gen. Jeff Jacobs said, "Teodoro Torres Jr. was a great soldier, great citizen, great man and true American hero."

Torres served eight years in the Army Reserves. He spent his last year in Iraq. "He would have been without a question, a pillar for Rochester. Actually, he is. I'm not going to take that away from him. He is," Olmeda said.

Torres' aunt Teresa added, "He was a wonderful person, human being. A nice kid, very hardworking, very ambitious."

He also is survived by his wife, Yarissa.

At the young man's funeral, his parents placed their heads on his coffin and clutched it as they cried. "Hasta luego, quizas pronto," said his father, Teodoro Torres Sr., kissing the coffin. See you later, hopefully soon.

Army Sgt. Nathan J. Vacho

Woodrow Keeble, a high school coach, recalls how Nathan J. Vacho once helped him track a deer after he had lost its trail.

"I knew he lived nearby, so I went knocking on his door," Keeble said. "He came out with a fresh flashlight and helped me for hours until I got the trail back. He was always there for his friends."

Vacho, 29, of Janesville, Wis., was killed May 5 in Baghdad by a roadside bomb. He was assigned to Knoxville.

Nathan's enthusiasm for life was infectious. "If it wasn't happening when he walked into a room, it was happening when he left," said his father, Army Reserve Command Sgt. Major John Vacho.

A 1995 high school graduate, Vacho was a running back on the football team and on the school newspaper staff. "He got along with everybody, and he'd go out of his way to say hi to you."

His father said a letter Nathan wrote to his parents in 1998 during basic training sums up Nathan's attitude toward the Army.

"I have been sworn to defend my country and my flag and I have volunteered to join the forces of freedom. I couldn't feel any better about myself," he said in the letter.

He also is survived by his wife, Amanda, and daughters, Emma and Bayli.

Marine Cpl. Steven Vahaviolos

Steven Vahaviolos and his sister, Penny, shared a great love of reading, particularly of science fiction.

"He kind of got me into reading more, kind of, I guess more action-oriented type stuff. And I got him kind of more into reading more plot-oriented-type things, and we kind of cross-pollinated," Penny Vahaviolos said.

Vahaviolos, 21, of Airmont, N.Y., was killed May 11 when his tank plunged off a bridge in Anbar province. He was based at Camp Lejeune and was on his second tour.

"I know my son very well," said his mother, Vasiliki Vahaviolos. "He would not want us to be crying around. He never liked that. Never. I know how tough he was because he took after his mom."

Vahaviolos' youthful fascination with drawing tanks led a kindergarten teacher to predict he would be an artist. He hoped to attend college upon his return.

The 2003 high school graduate was an avid video gamer. "He couldn't wait to get home when he was on leave and play his videos, computer games," said his uncle, John Vahaviolos.

Greg Casarella said Vahaviolos "was a quiet, respectful, hardworking young man. He did what was asked of him without complaint."

Army Staff Sgt. David M. Veverka

David M. Veverka played two years of varsity basketball, first as a small forward as a junior, later as a 5-foot-11 center during his senior season on a team that finished 0-21.

"Completely undersized, everybody bigger than him every night," recalled basketball coach Scott Taylor. "But he battled. I can still visualize David on the court, running out of that lane after a lay-in, pounding his chest, showing his heart."

Veverka, 25, of Jamestown, Pa., was killed in Diwaniyah May 6 by a roadside bomb. He was a 1999 high school graduate and was assigned to Brewer.

Veverka and his friends used to climb on raft-size blocks of Styrofoam and float down the Shenango River. "He was right on the money with morals," said friend Josh Crawford.

After his three-year stint with the Army, Sgt. Veverka enrolled at the University of Maine in Bangor, where he pursued a degree in wildlife ecology. The university awarded him a posthumous degree.

"He would have been an extraordinary biologist," said Susan Brawley, a fellowship coordinator.

He is survived by his father, Ronald, and mother and stepfather, Carol and Jeff Polley.

Army Staff Sgt. Gregory A. Wagner

During Lori Rust's last phone call with Gregory A. Wagner in Iraq, the two friends were reminiscing about how much they'd changed since college.

"Greg said he was still a huge Notre Dame football fan. I said, 'I'm still a huge Iowa Hawkeye basketball fan.' Greg's response was, 'I'm sorry to hear that.' Even in a stressful time he still had a sense of humor."

Wagner, 35, of Mitchell, S.D., was killed May 8 by an explosive in Baghdad. He was assigned to Yankton.

Wagner was a 1989 high school graduate and a 1993 graduate of Mount Marty College in Yankton. He had a passion for cars, especially his Chevy Monte Carlo.

"He was a great person to be around. He was one of those kind of guys who never seemed to be in a bad mood. He was a wonderful person to work with, as a result of that," said Sgt. Shane Toupal.

In 1991, he was a young man but still aware of the world.

"Greg knew people serving in the Gulf War," Rust said. "He had Psalm 23 written out on a dry eraser board next to his bathroom mirror, so he would always think of his friends who could be killed."

He is survived by his mother, Velma.

Army Chief Warrant Officer Jamie D. Weeks

Jamie D. Weeks was a helicopter pilot who worked on testing and modifications of aircraft. He was a veteran of the first Gulf War and had done 10 to 20 temporary assignments in Iraq.

"Jamie wasn't the kind of guy to sit around and do nothing. He was either flying his helicopter, riding his motorcycle or fishing," said Ned Parks, his brother-in-law.

Weeks, 47, of Daleville, Ala., was killed May 14 in Yusufiyah when his helicopter was shot down. He graduated high school in 1977 and was assigned to Fort Campbell.

"He was a wonderful human being," said his mother, Glenda Weeks. "He would give his last nickel for anyone who needed it. He was a generous soul."

Parks said Weeks had a profound gentleness. "You see that intensity and you get a picture of somebody and then they turn around and write letters that were incredible insight into humanity."

He is survived by his wife, Robin, and four daughters.

"These are the people who are supposed to be with you for your entire life," said his sister, Brenda. "They remember you when you were snotty nosed and they are supposed to be there when you are old and say, 'Do you remember when we did this?'"

Army Spc. Bobby R. West

No matter the temperature, Bobby R. West remained competitive.

While deployed with the National Guard in Egypt's Sinai Peninsula, West was known to play basketball in a tin gym where the mercury spiked to about 125-135 degrees.

Zack Dixon was there. "Bobby was tall, about 6-foot-4," Dixon said. "He played a lot of basketball and he was good." West vowed that he would stay there through two shifts in full battle dress uniforms until Dixon beat him.

"He was a great guy, a young guy with the world on his shoulders," said Dixon.

West, 23, of Beebe, Ark., was killed by a roadside bomb southeast of Baghdad on May 30. He was assigned to Fort Hood and served in Iraq with his brother.

At 17, he left high school and enlisted in the Guard, later joining the regular Army. Dixon said he told him that he really liked military life and since he wasn't married there was really nothing to hold him back.

"Thank you for serving with me in the greatest Army on earth," Patrick West said to his brother's coffin. "Be patient, Bobby, I'll be with you when God allows me to."

He also is survived by his father, Ricky, and his mother, Linda.

Army Master Sgt. Robert H. West

Sgt. West

Robert H. West's former football coach said West practically lived in the weight room because of his determination to be the best.

"He was the kind of kid you wanted to be around," said Fred Schmitz.

West, 37, of Elyria, Ohio, was killed May 14 in Baghdad when an explosive detonated near his vehicle. He was assigned to Clinton and was on his second tour.

West, who graduated from high school in 1987, was a wide receiver in high school and was part of the team that won the state championship two years in a row, in the mid-1980s.

West followed his older sister, Lisa, into the military. He was set to retire in two years and was considering becoming a county sheriff's deputy.

After enlisting, he was originally assigned to the armored cavalry and later served six years as a drill instructor. He then transferred back to the cavalry, serving as a tank commander in Iraq in 2003 and 2004.

For West, the military was a job he wanted to do well. "He wasn't afraid," said an aunt, Nora Hudson. "He said, 'I'm a trained professional, it'll be all right.'"

He is survived by his wife, Jeannie, and 11-year-old daughter Shelby.

Army Maj. Matthew W. Worrell

Maj. Worrell

Maj. Gregory Trnka, who was stationed with Matthew W. Worrell at Fort Campbell in 2001 and 2002, has a funny story about his friend.

"One morning I was walking to the building and saw an OH-58D Kiowa Warrior flying fast and low down the street almost turning at the stop light," Trnka said. "It was just a cool sight; I thought to myself to remind Matt to get on the flying roster again. When he came into the office later that day, I told him what I saw that morning and he said 'I know, I saw you watching me.'"

Worrell, 34, of Lewisville, Texas, was killed May 14 in Yusufiyah when his helicopter was shot down. The 1995 Texas A&M University graduate was assigned to Fort Campbell.

"Matthew was very outgoing," said Rob Jacobs, Worrell's former college roommate. "He was extremely confident in all things. He was very funny. He was a leader in just about everything he did. People gravitated towards him."

He is survived by his wife, Camille, and sons Jake, 5, and Luke, 2.

"There is no question that Matt believed in what he was doing," his family wrote in a statement. "He never doubted why he was there. Matt died doing something he deeply believed in."

Marine Lance Cpl. Hatak Yuka Keyu M. Yearby

Hatak Yuka Keyu M. Yearby wore his hair in two long braids until he woke one morning and told his mother he had to cut them because of a dream.

"That's one of the things he had to do to go into the Marines," said family friend Wilson Roberts.

Yearby, 21, of Overbrook, Okla., was killed May 14 in Anbar province when his Humvee struck a land mine. A 2003 high school graduate, he was assigned to Kaneohe Bay.

In October 2004, he won second-place at the Citizen Potawatomi Nation Intertribal Powwow, and he came in second at the Trail of Tears Powwow in DeQueen, Ark., in September 2003.

Hatak, whose name means "free-man," joined the Marines because he was influenced by past veterans and past warriors. After signing up, Yearby returned to his old high school for a basketball game last winter.

"When I saw him with a hair cut, for a few minutes I thought, 'Who is that?'" said Vice Principal Pam Anderson. "I told him I was proud of him for what he was doing," she said.

He is survived by his wife, Lindsey, and parents Justin and Mary Yearby.

"We are all just devastated," Anderson said. "He had his whole life ahead of him."

Army Pfc. Benjamin T. Zieske

A videotaped message home wishing his family a happy Easter is the last image Laurie Zieske has of her son Benjamin T. Zieske alive. She will keep with her the image of him smiling.

"I'll remember the way he laughed," Laurie Zieske recalled. "You could never stay mad at him long."

Zieske, 20, of Concord, Calif., was killed May 3 by a bomb while on foot patrol in Kirkuk. He graduated high school in 2003 and was assigned to Fort Campbell.

"When everybody was kind of down and depressed, he was trying to get everybody up. He had tons of energy," said his mother, Laurie Zieske. "He was just a little fireball. There's nothing I wouldn't give just to have another moment with him."

School wasn't always easy for Zieske. "He had very strong ideas about things and the way things should be. He was very articulate, very intelligent, and following the rules was not on the top list of his priorities," said principal Rinda Bartley.

He also is survived by his father, Robert.

"He went over as a boy and died as a man," Laurie Zieske said. "I could tell. He had grown up. He was more mature, less selfish."