Army Spc. Christopher J. Holland

Spc. Holland

Christopher Holland was in college when he surprised his dad and decided to join the Army.

He decided to become a medic because he was thinking about going into nursing, Jim Holland said.

"He always wanted to be independent and work on his own, but I think gradually over a couple years, he changed his mind and joined the Army," he said.

Holland, 26, of Brunswick, Ga., died Dec. 17 when his Baghdad patrol unit was ambushed with small arms fire. He was based in Smith Barracks, Germany.

Holland attended Valdosta State University before joining the Army. He had been stationed in Baghdad since April, his father said.

"He was a true friend because he had lots of friends. They've been calling," he said.

Other survivors include his mother, Mary Jo Holland of Lunenburg, Mass.

Army Sgt. Curt E. Jordan Jr.

The day after Christmas, Curt E. Jordan Jr. had the chance to visit with his family by satellite phone from Iraq.

"He got to see us," said his mother, Linda Taylor of Silverdale, Wash. "I can close my eyes and I can see him."

Two days later, Jordan died near Bayji, Iraq. He was involved in a minesweeping operation and fumes from a chemical he encountered apparently triggered a lethal reaction, perhaps from allergies, according to his stepmother, Tina Jordan.

"He loved working on old cars, always Dodges," his stepmother said. "He was a really, really nice kid."

"He was a good kid, a great father, a great son," said his father, Curt Jordan Sr., of Spokane Valley, Wash.

Jordan is survived by his wife, Kim Lloyd Jordan, and their children, Felicia Kae Jordan, 6, and Derrek Ray Jordan, 2, all at Fort Lewis.

A brother, Army Spc. Adam Jordan, was stationed 10 miles away when Jordan was killed, the family said.

Army Spc. Michael G. Mihalakis

Spc. Mihalakis

When Michael G. Mihalakis arrived in Iraq last spring, fresh out of high school, he faced extreme adversity and poverty for the first time.

Patrolling the streets of Baghdad, he saw a different world from where he grew up in Milpitas, Calif., playing guitar in a rock band while in high school.

Mihalakis, 18, was off-duty when his Humvee overturned near Baghdad International Airport on Dec. 26. He was thrown from the vehicle and crushed to death.

After graduating from high school in 2002, he had moved to San Luis Obispo, Calif., to attend summer school at Cuesta Community College. He planned to study business but joined the National Guard before the fall term began.

Mihalakis' father said his son came home from Iraq after a car accident left his sister in a coma.

When she began to recover, Mihalakis returned to Iraq. A sympathetic captain assigned him to the airport, Mihalakis' father said, instead of his prior job patrolling Baghdad's streets.

Army Pfc. Stuart Moore

Pfc. Moore

The last time Stuart Moore talked with family members, he told them he had two weeks leave to spend with them in mid-January.

"He was excited because he knew he was going to come back and see his daughter, Candice, who he hadn't seen since she was about 3 months old," said his father, Dennis Moore, of Livingston, Texas.

Moore, 21, died Dec. 22 in Baghdad when a roadside bomb exploded near a U.S. military convoy. Candice was 21 months old when her father died.

I know (Stuart) was proud of what he was doing. I know he didn't want to give his life. But I know he was prepared to," his father said.

Moore said his son was a Boy Scout, outgoing and liked rock climbing, hunting, fishing and camping.

Other survivors include his mother, Pam, and his wife, Molly.

Army Spec. Nathan Nakis

As a child, Nathan Nakis loved building and earth-moving vehicles. For his birthday, an uncle got him Army boots.

When he went to Iraq, he was trained as a soldier but armed, as Gov. Ted Kulognoski put it, with the "tools of peace" -- part of a unit that builds and repairs Iraqi homes, roads and water systems.

Nakis, 19, of Sedro-Woolley, Wash., was killed Dec. 16 in Iraq when the truck he was driving rolled over.

Nakis was an honor student and Boy Scout and enrolled in Oregon State University with plans to become a civil engineer. He had been in school about a month when his unit was activated.

While overseas, he won over children with his soccer and slingshot skills, and youths would stand outside his tent, calling his name and asking him to come play, said Joe Mesteth, his company's family support coordinator.

"His heart was different than other people's hearts," family friend Mike Janicki said. "Nathan went over there to win the peace."

Survivors include his parents, Arty and Elinor Nakis.

Army 1st Lt. Edward Matthew Saltz

Lt. Saltz

When Alan Anderson's mother died five years ago, Matthew Saltz spent nearly every minute of his holiday break consoling him.

"He had a heart of gold," Anderson said. "Basically, he would do anything for anybody."

Saltz, 27, of Bigfork, Mont., died Dec. 22 in the explosion of a roadside bomb in Baghdad. He was stationed in Germany.

Anderson, a family friend, said Saltz joined the Army to repay his obligation for receiving a college education. But once in the service, Saltz became committed and was seriously considering a career in the Army.

"He stood up for what he believed in," Anderson said. "And he believed in what we're trying to do over there."

Saltz went to Montana State University on an ROTC scholarship and earned a degree in business. During summers while he was in college, he worked as a firefighter for the Flathead National Forest.

Survivors include his parents, Richard and Cathy Saltz of Bigfork.

Army Capt. Chris Soelzer

Capt. Soelzer

To people who knew him in high school, Steve Soelzer was a quiet man who put academics first.

"I think he was close to straight A's," said Dave Mueller, who played high school football with Soelzer in Sturgis, S.D. "To be honest, he was real quiet, real shy, except to some of his friends. He was also a person who, you'd barely have to know him and he'd do everything for you. He was just a real nice guy."

Soelzer, 26, was one of three soldiers from Fort Leonard Wood killed Dec. 24 when a homemade bomb blew up as they traveled in a convoy near Samarra, north of Baghdad.

After high school Soelzer earned a scholarship to attend Kemper Military School in Boonville, Mo., said his father, Steve Soelzer. He later enrolled at the South Dakota School of Mines and Technology in Rapid City, where he received a degree in chemical engineering.

His brother Josh Soelzer, 25, was also serving in Iraq.

Army Maj. Christopher J. Splinter

Maj. Splinter

In a Christmas letter to his parents, Christopher J. Splinter said he believed the U.S. efforts in Iraq were progressing slowly, but in a positive direction.

"We will be successful, but must dig in our heals for the long term," Splinter wrote. "Ten years from now, Iraq will be the show state in the Middle East. This is dependent on America not losing hope and forcing the army to depart early."

Splinter, 43, of Platteville, Wis., died Dec. 24 near Samarra, Iraq, when the vehicle he was in hit a homemade bomb. He was stationed at Fort Leonard Wood.

Fort Leonard Wood's Col. Paul Kelly visited Splinter's 5th Engineer Battalion in Iraq about two months before Splinter died, and the men talked with pride about rebuilding six schools and repairing other infrastructure ripped apart by the war.

"I remember sitting down with Major Splinter and discussing the operation," Kelly said. "We talked about his family. He also expressed pride in being able to serve his country."

Splinter joined the ROTC program at the University of Wisconsin-Platteville in 1986. He graduated with a bachelor's degree in business administration in 1990 and went on active duty as an engineer.

He is survived by his wife, Penny -- who had been his high school sweetheart -- and their children, 13-year-old Mitchell and 10-year-old Rachel.

Army Staff Sgt. Michael Sutter

Sgt. Sutter

Michael Sutter loved the military, a passion reflected even things he did for fun, like paintball games.

"The Army was his life," said sister-in-law Ann Sutter.

Sutter, 28, of Tinley Park, Ill., was killed in Iraq on Dec. 26 while trying to defuse a homemade bomb. He was based in Camp Grayling.

Military officials told the family that Sutter was using a robot to defuse one bomb, then tried to do the same with another bomb but couldn't get to it with the robot, Ann Sutter said. He tried to defuse it manually and was a foot away when it exploded, she said.

Sutter served eight years in the Army before joining the National Guard, Ann Sutter said. A graduate of Andrew High School, Sutter was attending Moraine Valley College.

Sutter's mother, Judy, told WLS-TV in Chicago that her son was a team leader.

"The guys trusted him, believed in him," she said. "They idolized him."

Army Sgt. Michael Yashinski

It's safe to say that Michael Yashinski had the military in his blood -- he was born at Camp LeJeune, where his father was a Marine.

A high school wrestler and football player growing up in Monument, Colo., Yashinski also had varied interests: an avid black-powder muzzle loading enthusiast, participant in tomahawk and knife-throwing events, and a reenactor of events that involved mountain men and American Indians.

Yashinski, 24, was electrocuted Dec. 24 while running a communication wire in Kirkuk, Iraq. He was a paratropper stationed in Vicenza, Italy.

Survivors include his parents, James and Debora Yashinski of Irondale, Ala.

"We are very proud of Michael's service to the nation and what he was accomplishing in his life," his father said.