Army Spc. Ronald D. Allen Jr.

Spc. Allen

Ronald D. Allen Jr. was a young man of exuberant tastes -- maybe a little too exuberant at times. But that was far outweighed by the depth of his friendships.

"He played his music too loud," said Spc. Travis Rollins, "(but) to us he was a friend. I don't trust many people, but I knew I could count on Allen."

Allen, 22, of Mitchell, Ind., was killed Aug. 25 in a traffic accident in northern Iraq. He had jumped out of his Humvee to repair a flat tire, and was fatally injured when another vehicle spun out.

Family members say Allen was so eager to join the military he enlisted during his junior year of high school, and hoped to eventually become a state trooper.

"It doesn't surprise me that he was the first to get out of that truck and fix the tire," said Capt. Jessica Murnock, Allen's commander. "He was a quiet soldier but he was a hard worker."

Army Spc. Michael Andrade

Spc. Andrade

Michael Andrade loved to sing -- and everyone knew it. He used to sing along with the radio while he was on the job at JRA Collision Center in Bristol, R.I., and he was a big fan of karaoke.

"When he went to boot camp, he left a tape of some of the songs that he liked to sing," said office manager Denise Suitter.

Andrade, 28, a National Guardsman from Warren, R.I., died Sept. 24 when the Humvee he was in was struck by a fuel vehicle north of Baghdad.

A volunteer firefighter with the Bristol Fire Department, Andrade was married and had a 14-year-old stepson.

"He was a very good soldier. He was always just a nice person," said Sgt. John Cervone, assigned to the same armory as Andrade. "Everybody would say how devoted he was to his family."

Army Sgt. Andrew Joseph Baddick

Sgt. Baddick

As his older sister remembers it, Andrew Joseph Baddick never thought twice before rushing to help someone.

"He feared nothing," Elizabeth Hoherchak said. "Nothing. There was no hesitation in him."

Baddick, 26, of Jim Thorpe, Pa., drowned Sept. 29 when he tried to rescue another soldier whose vehicle had plunged into a canal in Iraq. He was stationed at Fort Bragg.

Baddick had been serving in Afghanistan before going to Iraq a few months ago, said Charles McHugh, a family friend.

"I knew the boy all his life; I watched him grow up," McHugh said. "All he wanted to do was be in the Army and be a paratrooper, and he succeeded."

Army Sgt. Gregory A. Belanger

Sgt. Belanger

Gregory A. Belanger had big blue eyes and a mischievous nature -- but it was in the kitchen where he really sparkled.

"He was a whiz," said his mother, Cathy Belanger. "He was creative and could take whatever was in the refrigerator and pull out this gourmet dish from his soul and his head."

Belanger, 24, of Narragansett, R.I., died Aug. 27 when the convoy he was in was attacked in Iraq. He had enlisted in the Army Reserves and was called up to active duty shortly after the terrorist attacks on Sept. 11, 2001, said his father, Ed Belanger.

Belanger graduated from Johnson and Wales University in Providence, R.I., in 2001 with an associate degree in culinary arts before entering the Army as a cook. He was pursuing a bachelor's degree in food service management.

Army Sgt. 1st Class William M. Bennett

William M. Bennett is remembered by colleagues as a man of contradictions: a fitness buff who enjoyed a good cigar, a challenger of authority who respected decisions he disagreed with.

Master Sgt. Jeff Mason said Bennett came across as cocky when they first met, but he soon learned: "Bill not only talked the talk, he walked the walk."

Bennett spoke his mind, but his loyalty was never in doubt, Mason said.

Bennett, 35, was killed Sept. 12 in a firefight in Ramadi, Iraq. He was a Green Beret stationed at Fort Campbell and lived in nearby Seymour, Tenn., with his wife, Allison, and their son, Seth.

Bennett entered the Army in December 1986. He also served in the 1991 Persian Gulf War and Afghanistan.

"Bill honored God, his country, Special Forces, his teammates, his family by always setting an esteemed example in all aspects of his life," said Sgt. 1st Class Steve Ferrell.

Army Sgt. Trevor A. Blumberg

Sgt. Blumberg

Trevor A. Blumberg always gave 100 percent in everything he did, whether it was playing football or hitting the books or serving his country.

"He never complained if you gave him an extra task," said Gary Brokas, his high school marketing teacher. "He would never, ever say 'It's somebody else's job,' or 'I'm busy."'

Blumberg, 22, of Canton, Ohio, was killed Sept. 14 by a roadside bomb in Fallujah, Iraq. He was a paratrooper stationed at Fort Bragg.

Blumberg was small for an offensive lineman on his high school football team, standing about 5 feet 7 inches and weighing about 165 pounds. Still, he worked harder than anyone else on the team, said Bob Cummings, the team's offensive coordinator.

"He pushed other players on the field to do their best," Cummings said.

Blumberg was so well thought of by his fellow soldiers that his death broke their morale, said Staff Sgt. Kyle Foster.

"He always smiled, always carried on," Foster said.

Army Spc. Lunsford B. Brown II

Lunsford B. Brown II may have been a bit unpolished as a high school football player, but his hard work helped his team in Henderson, N.C., win the conference championship.

"He was raw, since he hadn't played much," said coach Randy Long. "But he was a strong guy, and he moved well and ended up being a contributor to the team as a defensive lineman."

He also made an impression in other ways: "I vividly remember him coming to the locker room with his ROTC uniform on to get dressed for practice," Long said.

Brown, 27, was killed Sept. 20 when mortars struck an Iraqi prison outside Baghdad. He was based in Wiesbaden, Germany.

Brown's younger brother, Jason, is the star center for the University of North Carolina's football team.

Long said Lunsford Brown was "a very likable person" -- "He had the same good demeanor as the rest of his family. I thought a lot of him."

Survivors include his wife, Sherrie Wheeler Brown of Greensboro, N.C., and 3-month-old daughter, Amber.

Army Sgt. Charles T. Caldwell

Sgt. Caldwell

Charles T. Caldwell and his bride, Margaret, had pushed up their wedding from June to February when things began heating up in the Middle East. Charles wanted to celebrate their union with "a huge party" as soon as he came home.

"Well, baby, this is some party," Margaret Caldwell said at a memorial service for her husband, sending a wave of laughs through the audience.

Caldwell, 38, of North Providence, R.I., was killed Sept. 1 when the Humvee he was riding in struck a land mine in Iraq. He was a member of the Rhode Island National Guard.

Kipp Caldwell remembered his older brother as a loving and loyal friend. He liked the camaraderie and the structure of the military.

"He was happy that he was doing something that he felt was very worthwhile and we're proud of him for that," said Kipp Caldwell. "I think he was at a happy point in his life. He was doing what he wanted to do."

Army Staff Sgt. Joseph Camara

Sgt. Camara

Joseph Camara was a quiet, funny man who had a calming effect on the people he encountered in his four years as a patrol officer.

"Those are tough qualities to find," said Lt. Richard Spirlet, spokesman for the New Bedford, Mass., Police Department.

Camara, 40, of New Bedford, died Sept. 1 when the Humvee he was in struck a land mine near Baghdad. He was a member of the Rhode Island National Guard.

"He was an exceptional partner," said Officer Luis Sud-Martinez.

"He had no qualms about going back and serving his duty in the military," Sud-Martinez said. "He had put his time in and was ready to retire but he went back and he had a job to do."

Camara is survived by his wife, Ana, and children Matthew, Angela and Ashley.

Army Spc. Ryan G. Carlock

Spc. Carlock

Ryan G. Carlock didn't talk much about Iraq when he spoke with his wife. He didn't want her to worry any more than she already did.

Instead, they chatted mostly about their 10-month-old daughter and his 7-year-old daughter from a previous marriage.

"He loved his children," Heather Carlock said. "He was a loving husband. I've never seen a mean streak in him."

Carlock, 25, of Colchester, Ill., died Sept. 9 in combat north of Baghdad. He was stationed at Hunter Army Airfield in Georgia after joining the service about three years ago to earn a living and get job training.

"He was trying to figure out his next move, stay in or go to college," said Terry Evans, Carlock's stepfather. "He had more to do here in this life."