Marine Cpl. Bumrock R. Lee

Cpl. Lee

"A strong Marine on the outside, a hopeless romantic on the inside," is how one fellow Marine remembered Bumrock R. Lee.

"I had so much faith and no doubt that he was going to make it," said his sister, Elis Lee. "I was so sure of him coming back to be with us."

Lee, 21, of Sunnyvale, Calif., died June 2 from injuries suffered the previous week in a vehicle attack in Iraq's Anbar province. He was based at Camp Pendleton.

Lee, known as "Bum" or "Rocky" to his friends, was born in Korea and immigrated with his family to California when he was a child. He enlisted in the Marines during his senior year in high school, and left for boot camp upon graduation.

He was stationed in Japan before being sent to Iraq.

"He was extremely brave and proud of the fact that he could fight for his country," said Lee's cousin, Jin Whang. "He wanted to do his civic and military duties for his country."

Army Spc. Justin W. Linden

Spc. Linden

Justin W. Linden never missed a chance to brighten a shift while working at a KFC restaurant.

"He made everybody laugh," said his wife, Sarah Linden, who met him while working there.

Linden, 22, of Portland, Ore., was killed June 4, one of five soldiers attacked by assailants with an improvised explosive device and rocket-propelled grenades. He was a member of the Oregon National Guard and graduated from high school in Clinton, Wis., in 1999.

Linden's mother, Donna Beckman of Elkhorn, Wis., said her son moved to Portland with friends about four years ago, and he got married before being shipped to Iraq.

"They were planning on having a big wedding reception when he got back," she said.

"I miss everything about him," Sarah Linden said. "It's been hard because I had gotten used to him being gone, but it's tough when you know he won't be coming back."

Marine Lance Cpl. Juan Lopez

Cpl. Lopez

In high school in Dalton, Ga., Juan Lopez played on the soccer team and was remembered for his smile.

"He was a good boy, always smiling," said principal Alan Long. "He was one of those guys who did what he was supposed to do."

Lopez, 22, was killed June 21 during fighting in Iraq's Anbar province.

He was stationed at Camp Pendleton.

Army Sgt. Arthur Mastrapa

Arthur Mastrapa had been planning to return home to Apopka, Fla., to surprise his dad for Father's Day. But the 35-year-old Army Reservist died June 16, two days before he was due to leave Iraq, in a mortar attack in Balad.

"He wanted to surprise me for Father's Day," said his father Arthur Mastrapa, 61. "He was a joy to have around -- a very good, happy person."

Mastrapa had previously served in the Army as a military policeman in Alabama and Germany, then worked as a postal carrier and joined the Army Reserves.

"He liked being in the military," said his brother Mark Mastrapa. "He really loved serving his country."

Survivors include his Jennifer, daughter Marisa, 8, and 20-month-old son, Reece.

Army Sgt. Patrick R. McCaffrey Sr.

When Patrick R. McCaffrey Sr. became disillusioned with his mission in Iraq, he tried to focus on the difference he could make by helping some of the nation's children, his mother said.

"The way he lived needs to be talked about," Nadia McCaffrey said. "Patrick was not a fighter, he was a peacemaker." The soldier asked his family to send care packages he could give to Iraqi children, she said.

The 34-year-old medic from Tracy, Calif., was killed June 22 in an ambush in Balad, Iraq. His National Guard unit was based in Petaluma, Calif.

McCaffrey joined the National Guard in the days after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, but he lost faith in the U.S. mission after arriving in Iraq this spring, his mother said.

"He was overwhelmed by the hatred there for Americans and Europeans," she said. "He was so ashamed by the prisoner abuse scandal. He even sent me an e-mail to tell me that not all the soldiers were like that. He said we had no business in Iraq and should not be there. Even so, he wanted to be a good soldier."

Survivors include his wife, Silvia, and his son from a previous marriage, Patrick Jr.

Army 1st Lt. Erik S. McCrae

Lt. McCrae

Erik S. McCrae tried to look beyond the violence in Iraq, describing to his wife encounters with children and visits to old buildings. "When he'd call me from Iraq, he'd always mention how they talked with school children and handed out soccer balls," Heather McCrae said.

"He enjoyed learning about the culture and talked about all the beautiful buildings and the mosques," she added. "And a lot of people really were thankful they were there, cleaning up the neighborhoods and fixing up the sewer systems."

McCrae, 25, an Oregon National Guard member, was killed by a bomb in Baghdad on June 4.

A 2000 graduate of Linfield College, McCrae worked as a mechanical engineer and reserve sheriff's deputy before he shipped out to Iraq. He had so many activities that he was known as "the part-timer," his wife said.

"He did everything 110 percent. But you never felt like you were in second place," she said.

Capt. Kelby McCrae of the Oregon National Guard described his younger brother as an avid outdoorsman who learned to love camping, hunting and fishing as a Cub Scout. The younger McCrae had recently made a surprise purchase, a Harley Davidson Sportster motorcycle.

"He figured he would learn how to ride it faster if he couldn't afford to wreck it," Kelby McCrae said with a laugh.

Army Spc. Eric S. McKinley

Spc. McKinley

An avid outdoorsman, Eric McKinley hoped to open a juice bar in the college town of Corvallis, Ore., to provide a drug- and alcohol-free environment for young people.

At Alpine Bakery in Corvallis, where McKinley worked for about two years, co-worker Ryan Barber remembered him as a great guy who "would give you the shirt off his back if he could." Bakery owners Joey and Viki Taylor said McKinley was always willing to work late nights and fill in when other employees called in sick.

"He always did what was asked of him," Joey Taylor said.

McKinley, 24, of Corvallis was killed June 13 by a roadside bomb north of Baghdad. McKinley's six-year tour of duty with the National Guard was to have ended April 1, but his stay was extended indefinitely because of the continuing violence in Iraq.

McKinley's senior yearbook picture shows a grinning young man with spiked hair dyed red and green. In other 1998 yearbook pictures, he has purple hair, blue hair and a mohawk. High school English teacher Mary Morris described him as "friendly and laid back, not the greatest English student in the world, but always a pleasure to be around."

Survivors include his father, Tom McKinley of Salem, Ore., and mother, Karen Hilsendager of Philomath, Ore.

Army Sgt. Melvin Y. Mora

Sgt. Mora

Melvin Y. Mora had dreams of working for National Geographic magazine and traveling the world after serving in the military.

"He was someone who worked hard to succeed at what we were doing," said Angela Speck, an astronomy professor at the University of Missouri-Columbia, where Mora studied. "He also worked hard to support himself and pay for school."

Mora, 27, was struck by shrapnel in a mortar attack at a military compound on June 6.

He was originally from the town of Arecibo on Puerto Rico's north-central coast, where his parents still live. Mora most recently lived in Columbia, Mo., where he studied the origins of the universe.

"Astronomy was his passion," said Dorina Kosztin, director of undergraduate studies for the University of Missouri-Columbia's physics department.

Army Spc. Charles E. Odums II

Spc. Odums

Charles E. Odums II was "very outgoing, very family-oriented," his mother says -- "Everyone loved him."

He met his wife, Melanie, while they were students at the University of Toledo.

"Charles never thought he would be college material, but we strongly encouraged him to try," said his mother, Annie Odums. "He went for a year and a half, then got the point where he said, 'Mom, I'm wasting your money and my time.' He couldn't find a job and decided to go to the military.

"I tried to support him in his decision, but that would not have been my first choice for him."

Odums, 22, of Sandusky, Ohio, died May 30 in an explosion in Iraq.

"He was always trying to keep people upbeat. He was liked and loved by the platoon," said Pfc. Taylor Burk, who served with Odums in Iraq.

Marine Lance Cpl. Deshon E. Otey

Cpl. Otey

Deshon E. Otey stood only about 5 feet, 5 inches tall, but he was known for his toughness on the football field in high school and dreamed of becoming an FBI agent.

"A lot of people looked up to him," said his mother, Robin Mays.

Otey, 24, of Radcliff, Ky., was killed June 21 by hostile fire in Iraq's Anbar province. He was stationed at Camp Pendleton.

"He told me when he got out (of the Marines) he was going to join the Delta Force," the Army's elite fighting unit, his mother said. "He liked that kind of work. He was a brave soldier, a proud soldier and a loving son."

Marine Cpl. Tommy L. Parker Jr.

Cpl. Parker

Tommy L. Parker was so eager to join the military that he signed up for the Reserves at 17, and went on active duty after high school graduation.

"T.J. was just the sort of person who would help anybody, anyone," his father, Tommy Parker, said. "I think that T.J. just really wanted to do something for his country."

Parker, 21, of Heber Springs, Ark., died June 21 an ambush in Ramadi, Iraq. He was stationed at Camp Pendleton.

T.J. Parker probably decided to become a sniper because he loved hunting, his father said. He had accompanied his father on deer and rabbit hunting trips since he was 3 years old, Tommy Parker said.

He spoke with his family often while overseas, and his wife, Carla, talked with him a few days before he died.

"He talked like everything was going OK, it was just another day in Iraq," Tommy Parker said.

Other survivors include his mother Renatta, and 2-year-old daughter, Lara.

Marine Lance Cpl. Rafael Reynosa

Cpl. Reynosa

Rafael Reynosa moved from Mexico and lived in Santa Ana, Calif., during his teens. He married his high school sweetheart, and the couple moved into the first home they bought together in Riverside. Owning a home had been Reynosa's dream.

"Once he got those keys, he's like, 'I'm already an American. I made my American dream,"' Dinora Reynosa said.

Reynosa, 28, died May 29 of hostile fire in Iraq's Anbar province. He was stationed at Camp Pendleton.

Dinora was pregnant when her husband left for Iraq.

"He wanted to have a baby girl and I just found today it's a little girl. He left without knowing what he was having, and that's ... really tough on me," she said.

Marine Lance Cpl. Bob W. Roberts

When the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks inspired Bob W. Roberts to enlist in the military, friends told him that, at 27, he was too old for the rigors of boot camp.

But Roberts trained hard before reporting for duty, bicycling seven miles a day, lifting weights and jogging. When he graduated, he wore his uniform around his hometown of Newport, Ore., to show his friends just how wrong they were.

"He had a real zest for life that was refreshing," said Bonnie Bonar, who owns the Yaquina Bay marina where Roberts used to go crabbing.

The 30-year-old heavy equipment operator was killed May 17 by hostile fire in Iraq's Anbar province. He was assigned to Camp Pendleton.

The Marine loved practical jokes. As a child, he once left a live sturgeon in the bathtub to surprise his mother.

Roberts was good with kids. One friend said Roberts took her grandchildren crabbing and went out of his way to play video games with them.

"He enjoyed spending time with them because he didn't have to be an adult with them," Laura Eason said.

Army Pfc. Richard H. Rosas

When Richard H. Rosas was injured in an attack in November, he probably could have returned to the United States but decided to stay in Iraq, his commanding officer said.

"He wanted to be with his friends ... his other family," Capt. Bradd Schultz said. "He was the heart and soul of our platoon,"

The 21-year-old was killed by an explosive May 25 in Fallujah, Iraq. He was assigned to Fort Drum.

Rosas always seemed to be smiling, even when he was on patrol in Iraq, Schultz said. "Ricky's always smiling with a big machine gun hanging off his arm," he said.

On a recent visit home to St. Louis, Mich., the soldier visited with high school teachers.

"He was on cloud nine," principal Tom Steere said. "He was looking great, real proud that he was serving his country. We were all real proud." The school honored Rosas during halftime of a home varsity basketball game in March.

Rosas was due to return home in two months, when he was to meet his newborn daughter, Skye, for the first time.

Army Capt. Robert C. Scheetz Jr.

Capt. Scheetz

Robert C. Scheetz Jr. was a 10-year veteran who planned to make the Army a career. "He was a lifer who really enjoyed the military," Robert Scheetz Sr. said. "He was determined to become a general."

Scheetz, 31, of Shamokin Township, Pa., joined the Army in 1994 and was a member of the Special Forces. He graduated in 1999 from Troy State University in Alabama, with a major in international business, and was stationed in Germany before his deployment to Iraq.

Scheetz was killed May 30 by an explosion outside the tent where he was sleeping.

"He died doing what he believed in," said his mother, Joyce Scheetz. "Rob was very serious. He was a hard worker who was determined to be successful in life."

He also is survived by his wife, Jennifer, who lives in Germany.

Marine Lance Cpl. Dustin L. Sides

Cpl. Sides

Dustin L. Sides joined the Marines a year ago following an older brother and a cousin.

"He was proud to be there, proud to be a Marine -- and we are proud of him," said Nancy Sides, his stepmother.

Sides, 22, of Yakima, Wash., was killed May 31 in an ambush near Fallujah, Iraq. He was based at Camp Pendleton. He graduated from a Yakima high school in 2001.

His father, John Sides, said he spoke with his son by phone just two hours before his death. Dustin told his father he had just completed a mission and was on his way back to base.

Friend Amie Wakefield said she last spoke to Sides a few weeks before he died, when he telephoned from Iraq.

"He wanted to be there, and he wanted people to be proud of him," she said.

Sides is also survived by his mother. He had intended to marry a girlfriend in California when his duty in Iraq ended, relatives said.

Army Maj. Paul R. Syverson III

Maj. Syverson

When CIA agent Johnny "Mike" Spann was killed in an Afghanistan prison uprising, Maj. Paul R. Syverson III was one of the Special Forces commandos sent in to retrieve his body and curtail the intense fighting.

Syverson was one of five soldiers injured in the November 2001 uprising by a misguided U.S. bomb, and earned a Purple Heart. He didn't complain, despite the ongoing pain.

When he was a company commander, "his soldiers would stop what they were doing just to speak with him or be near him if only for a few moments," said Lt. Col. Christopher Haas.

Syverson, 32, of Lake Zurich, Ill., was killed June 16 at a U.S. base north of Baghdad where he stopped to buy equipment for fellow soldiers from the 5th Special Forces Group, based at Fort Campbell.

Syverson had volunteered to go to Iraq a third time to set up for other soldiers to soon follow.

"That really sums up what a fantastic, outstanding soldier and officer he was," Haas said.

He is survived by his wife, Jackie, his son, Paul, 7, and daughter Amy, 2 months.

Army Sgt. Humberto F. Timoteo

Sgt. Timoteo

Humberto F. Timoteo was so eager to join the military that he had his parents sign a waiver so he could enlist just shy of his 18th birthday.

"He wanted to go and serve his country because he felt he had been given so much that he wanted to give something back," said his sister-in-law, Graciela Torres.

Timoteo, 25, of Newark, N.J., was killed June 5 when a roadside bomb hit his armored vehicle. His unit was providing security for a convoy at the time.

He had trained as a field artilleryman at Fort Sill, where he met his wife, Silvia. The two eloped to West Palm Beach, Fla., in August 2002, where they spent their honeymoon.

"Unfortunately, sometimes bad things happen to good people," Silvia Timoteo said. The couple had one child, Giovanni.

Army 1st Lt. Andre D. Tyson

Lt. Tyson

Andre D. Tyson enjoyed gathering intelligence in the farmlands of Iraq, his family said. While patrolling, he found the residents to be generous and hospitable, serving soldiers tea and bread that he described as "almost like homemade tortillas."

"He loved the military," Sigmund Crews said of his cousin. "All of his e-mails spoke positively about his experiences in Iraq."

The 33-year-old from Riverside, Calif., was killed June 22 in an ambush in Balad, Iraq. His National Guard unit was based in Petaluma, Calif.

"He was one of these people who commanded respect. People looked up to him," said Tyson's brother-in-law, Luis McDonald.

The soldier was an assistant manager at a Glendale Costco store before he was called up for active duty.

Survivors include his mother, Renee, and father, Lee.

Army Pfc. Daniel P. Unger

The son of a Baptist minister, Daniel P. Unger worked as a missionary in youth prisons.

"He was a good soldier. He was a good man of God," Marc Unger said of his son.

The 19-year-old from Exeter, Calif., was killed May 25 by hostile fire in Iskandariyah, Iraq. He was based in Visalia, Calif.

"I can't tell you how close we were," Marc Unger said of his relationship with his son.

The soldier joined the National Guard at the beginning of his senior year in high school, where he was a center fielder on the baseball team. He left for boot camp just two days after graduating.

Survivors also include his mother, Lynda Unger.

Army Spc. Thai Vue

Spc. Vue

During his senior year in high school, Thai Vue focused more on having a good time than on studying. But he wanted to change his ways, especially knowing it was for a better life that his parents had fled Laos 25 years earlier.

So a few days after graduating, he joined the Army.

"He said, 'I don't want to go, but I just need to get my life straight -- and get some money,' " said his brother, Alan.

Vue, 22, of Willows, Calif., died June 18 in a mortar attack in Baghdad. He was stationed in Germany.

Vue's family moved to California in 1983, but language barriers and their illegal immigration status made jobs hard to come by and the 11-member extended family lived in a two-bedroom apartment for some time, Alan Vue said.

Thai rarely complained, his brother said, and instead focused on football, basketball and his 1996 Honda Prelude. But when Alan wrecked the car after Thai joined the Army, "he was like, 'You know what, bro? You don't have to worry about it. I'll come back and buy another car.' "

Other survivors include his parents, Chou Vue and Chia Thao.

Army Spc. Michael J. Wiesemann

Teachers say Michael J. Wiesemann was quiet and artistic with a good sense of humor. He joined the Army in 2002, soon after graduating from high school .

Wiesemann, 20, of North Judson, Ind., was killed May 29 at Quyarrah Air Base of non-combat related injuries. He was based at Fort Lewis.

English teacher Carolyn Wyller said she saw Wiesemann before he entered the military and said he was excited to serve.

"You never think things like that will happen to your students," she said.

"It's a tragedy, when you hear of loss of life, especially like this," school superintendent Roger Sutton said. "It really has an effect on everyone."

Army Pfc. Nicholaus E. Zimmer

Pfc. Zimmer

Nicholaus E. Zimmer always lived the way he wanted to.

"He was just in charge of himself the whole time. When he made up his mind to do something, he did it. He was always determined," said Janine Jackson, the mother of one of Zimmer's friends, Jimmy Jackson.

Zimmer, 20, of Columbus, Ohio, was killed May 30 in Kufa, Iraq, when his vehicle was hit by rocket propelled grenades. Zimmer was based in Friedburg, Germany.

Lisa Zimmer said her son was proud to serve his country but that she could tell he was ready to come home. Zimmer was known for dyeing his hair different colors or wearing a mohawk before he enlisted in the Army.

Survivors also include his father, Harold Zimmer.