Marine Lance Cpl. Patrick R. Adle

Cpl. Adle

Cheerful and well-liked, Patrick R. Adle always drew a crowd when he celebrated life milestones such as graduating from high school or heading to Iraq.

"The guy always had a smile on his face," said his cousin, Joshua Tackett. "You can't put in words how great a person he was."

The 21-year-old heavy equipment operator from Baltimore was killed June 29 by a roadside bomb in Baghdad. He was based in Folsom, Pa.

Adle, who was a forklift operator in civilian life, came from a long line of military men and enlisted in the Marine Reserves some three years before his death.

"I think he wanted the pride of being called a Marine," said Tackett, who is also a reservist. "It's a feeling that can't be taken away."

Adle is survived by his father, Michael Adle, and his mother, Pamela Adle-Watts.

Army Pfc. Collier E. Barcus

Pfc. Barcus

Collier E. Barcus was an adventurous boy who often climbed out his bedroom window or sled off the roof of a shed.

"He decided to learn how to rappel by jumping out of his bedroom window on the second story," said his uncle, George Fueschl.

Barcus, 21, of McHenry, Ill., was among five soldiers killed July 8 when the Iraqi National Guard headquarters was attacked in Samarra.

Barcus grew up playing soldier, creating a play gun out of pipe and duct tape and painting it Army green. Worried about his mischievous streak, his parents sent him to a Wyoming cattle ranch, where he earned his GED.

He hoped to one day own his own ranch, but he decided to enlist after watching the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, said his mother, Sandy Barcus.

"He believed in what he was doing and wanted to be there," she said. "He believed the Iraqi people needed to be free."

Barcus is also survived by his father, Greg Barcus.

Army Sgt. Michael C. Barkey

Sgt. Barkey

Michael Barkey was always trying to do the right thing. He hoped to become a firefighter so he could help others, his family said.

"He believed in the war, and he went over there and he fought for it," said his older brother, John. "He was a good person, and everyone knew that."

Barkey, 22, of Canal Fulton, Ohio, was killed July 7 when his vehicle flipped over in Iraq. He was a member of the Ohio National Guard.

John Barkey said his younger brother would send home videos showing him having fun with other soldiers in his unit.

"He was always good for helping to get the edge off," he said. "No matter how bad things were, he'd make you laugh."

Other survivors include his parents, Hal and Julie Barkey.

Army Pfc. Nicholas H. Blodgett

Pfc. Blodgett

When the deli where Nicholas Blodgett worked went out of business, he looked for a job in security.

"But they wanted people with military experience," said Paula Blodgett, his step-grandmother. "He'd always wanted to either be in the military or a cop, so he joined the Army."

Blodgett, 21, of Wyoming, Mich., was killed July 21 in Abdalluyah, Iraq when his patrol vehicle hit an improvised explosive device. Six other soldiers were injured in the blast.

Blodgett was a quiet leader at his high school, playing in the school band and taking tae kwon do lessons with his parents Rita and Robert Blodgett Jr. and his brother, Matthew, 20.

"What I remember about him is that he returned the year after graduation to help out with the color guard," said school principal Steve Passinault. "He wanted to find a way to stay involved."

Blodgett, who was stationed in Schweinfurt, Germany, had been home for a visit in November and was excited about going overseas. His family had been looking forward to another visit in August.

Army Pvt. 1st Class Samuel R. Bowen

Pfc. Bowen

Samuel Bowen was a restaurant cook known to friends as "Smokey." He was also known as a fun-loving person who stayed in touch with his family.

"He always had a smile on his face," said his sister, Consuella Bowen. "You could never tell when he was having a down day."

Bowen, 38, of Cleveland, was killed July 7 in an explosion near his vehicle in Samarra. He was a member of the Ohio National Guard.

Bowen was credited with pulling a wounded soldier from the line of fire in June, even though he was also wounded.

"Without regard for himself, without regard for what injuries he had, Sam grabbed me and pulled me to safety," said Spc. Ronald Eaton, another Ohio National Guardsman.

Survivors include his wife, Melanie, three children and two stepchildren.

Army Capt. Christopher S. Cash

Friends and family remember Christopher Cash as a natural leader who always tried to help others, qualities that his commanding officer confirmed. Cash was killed as he shouted from his vehicle for his men to take cover.

"I'm going to miss that big smile," Lt. Col. David Barnhill said. "But if there's one thing that can be good today, it's that as long as America has men like Chris Cash ... then this country is going to remain strong."

Cash, 36, of Winterville, N.C., was an infantry officer and company commander in the North Carolina National Guard. He was killed June 24 when his vehicle came under attack by enemy forces.

Cash enlisted in 1987 but returned to college on the GI Bill and received a master's degree in exercise physiology from East Carolina University.

Cash is survived by his wife, Dawn, and two sons, Mathew, 11, and Christopher, 13, from a previous marriage.

Marine Lance Cpl. Manuel A. Ceniceros

Throughout his childhood, Manuel Ceniceros was painfully shy. Becoming a Marine helped him break out of that shell, his wife said.

"My husband, for most of his life, had never felt like he owned anything or stood for anything, because he was so quiet and so shy," Elizabeth Ceniceros said. "When he was in high school, he wasn't known for anything at all. But when he became a Marine, it was like he owned that."

Ceniceros, 23, died June 26 while fighting in Iraq's Al Anbar province. He was based at Camp Pendleton.

He lived with his wife and her family in East Los Angeles before leaving for Iraq in February. He hoped to buy a home when he returned and pay for a formal wedding, which the couple couldn't afford when they married in 2002.

He wanted to eventually settle in Santa Ana, start a family and work for the police department, his wife said.

Marine Staff Sgt. Michael J. Clark

Sgt. Clark

Michael J. Clark had a penchant for danger. He earned a degree in criminal psychology and considered a job with the U.S. Secret Service.

"He just loved anything with danger," his brother, Robert Clark, said. "He wanted to beat the odds."

Clark, 29, of Leesburg Lake, Fla., was killed July 20 when he approached a suspicious vehicle that detonated in Iraq's Anbar province. He was stationed at Camp Pendleton.

After serving one tour of duty in Iraq, Clark didn't really want to return, but he decided he would rather fight enemy forces abroad than have them come to America, said his stepfather, Richard Lester.

Clark leaves behind a wife, Sarah, and two daughters, Victoria, 6, and Emily, 4.

Robert Clark remembered his brother saying, "I want to always be there for them."

Army Sgt. Robert E. Colvill Jr.

Sgt. Colvill

Robert E. Colvill Jr. left the Marines as a sergeant in 1999, but it wasn't long before he reenlisted, this time in the Army.

"He came home and he didn't like civilian life," said Colvill's stepfather, Daniel Walker.

Colvill, 31, of Anderson, Ind., died in a hostile attack July 8 in Iraq.

His wife, Chris, and two of his children live in Germany, where he served before he was deployed to Iraq in March. Another son lives in California.

"He was a leader. He was always eager to try new challenges," said his sister, Melanie L. Smith. "He always tried to please everybody."

As a video tribute played during his memorial service, Colvill's 2-year-old son, Zachary, played with a pencil and a pad of paper near the flag-draped coffin.

Marine Sgt. Kenneth Conde Jr.

Sgt. Conde

In April, Kenneth Conde Jr. was shot during a gunbattle in Iraq. Not only did he keep on fighting, he refused to go back home to Orlando, Fla., after being treated.

"After he fell down, (insurgents) started cheering and he just got angry and got back up and his platoon kept going forward," said his father, Kenneth Conde Sr., a former Marine. "He refused to receive medical attention until his arm became so numb that he couldn't hold his weapon anymore."

The 23-year-old Conde Jr. returned to his platoon and was killed July 1 while fighting in the Al Anbar province. He was based at Camp Pendleton.

Conde, known as Kee-Kee to his friends, enjoyed art and weightlifting and joined the Marines out of high school, following in his father's footsteps.

"As a Marine, I understand the decisions he made. I respect them," his father said. "As a father, I wish he had come home."

He is also survived by his mother, Theresa, and a fiancee, Yuri Ozaki.

Marine Lance Cpl. Tim Creager

Tim Creager was a man of great faith -- "the kind of guy you want your daughter to marry and your sons to be like," said Rusty Wheelington, a minister who knew him well.

Creager felt God had called him to serve his country.

"He said he always felt God's presence with him," said his mother, Kay Creager. "He always knew he was doing what he was supposed to be doing."

Creager, 20, of Millington, Tenn., died July 1 in the Anbar province of Iraq. He had been stationed at Camp Lejeune.

Creager went to The Citadel on a full scholarship, but he left at the end of his sophomore year, saying he felt God was calling him to another destination. He enlisted with the Marines, fulfilling what friends said was a longtime dream.

"It was what he wanted to do as long as I knew him," Wheelington said.

In addition to his mother, Creager is survived by his fiancee, Marilane Mesler of Fairhope, Ala., and his father and stepmother, Mike and Susan Creager.

Army Spc. Danny B. Daniels II

Spc. Daniels

There were no coal mines or long-haul driving in Danny B. Daniels' future. After a stint in the Army, he wanted to hit the streets of his home state as a peace officer.

"He said he wanted to get an education and make something of his life. He planned to come back and work for the West Virginia State Police," his father said.

Daniels, 23, a military policeman from Varney, W.Va., died July 20 when his patrol vehicle came under attack in Baghdad. He was stationed in Bamberg, Germany.

Daniels' father, Danny, said his son was participating in a mission to train Iraqi law enforcement officers in domestic policing and had been deployed to Iraq three months ago. He previously was stationed for about 18 months in Germany, where he met and married his wife Lona.

"Danny always said he didn't want to work in the coal mines or be a truck driver," Daniels said. "After he turned 18, I encouraged him to make up his mind for himself. When we would talk on the phone, he always assured me he was involved in training and would not be out on patrol."

Army Pvt. 1st Class Torey J. Dantzler

Torey J. Dantzler was the kind of guy whose legacy lives on in high school hallways.

"He is one of those you still talk about long after they are gone," said Buster Duplissey, who coached Dantzler in football. "He holds a special place in our hearts. You couldn't ask for a better kid."

Dantzler, 22, of Columbia, La., died July 22 when a bomb went off near his convoy in Samarra. He was based in Kaiserslautern, Germany.

"The world lost a great person," said Dantzler's wife, Serena. "He was the head of the household, and I don't have a best friend anymore. It's just hard. It's going to be hard to start over and be a single parent."

High school classmate Mitch Bratton remembered the athlete for the things he did off the field.

"Torey always had a joke," Bratton said. "I always remember him mentoring the younger kids on the football team. That was how he was."

In addition to his wife, Dantzler is survived by his two children, Kayla, 22 months, and Torey Jr., 4 months.

Army Spc. Shawn M. Davies

Shawn Davies was a dedicated prankster.

"Every time you hung out with Shawn, it was a great time," said Spc. Joel McConnell, who went to school with Davies and later enlisted in the Army around the same time. "The two times I rode in the back of a police car, Shawn was right there."

Davies, 22, of Hopewell Township, Pa., died July 8 after he fell over and stopped breathing at the recreation facility at Camp Blackjack near Baghdad. Previous medical checkups had revealed no problems, relatives said. The Army was investigating.

Davies joined the Army a year after graduating high school, and was based at Fort Hood. "My brother was doing what he wanted to do," said his sister, Toni Peters.

He was remembered by Erica Sweitzer as a loyal friend who "would do anything for anybody."

"Sometimes he would tell you things that you might not want to hear but needed to be told, and he was a practical jokester," she said. "He will be missed."

Davies is survived by his parents, Ron and Martha Davies.

Army Spc. Daniel A. Desens

Daniel A. Desens was always thinking of others. He gave generously to the homeless and volunteered for extra work in Iraq to help out his fellow soldiers.

Eventually, he hoped to be a psychologist.

"He wanted to make sure everyone else was happy first," said his best friend Andrew Cross, who served with him.

Desens, 20, of Jacksonville, N.C., was killed June 26 when his vehicle came under attack in Baqubah, Iraq. He was based in Jacksonville, N.C.

A Minnesota Vikings fan, Desens loved to play sports himself -- he was a high school football captain and was also on the track and wrestling team.

Patricia Desens remembered her son's generosity toward others.

"Last year in Savannah, Ga., he met a homeless person and gave him $80," she said.

Desens joined the National Guard soon after enrolling at Chowan College in Murfreesboro. He wanted to join the Marines like his father, Daniel Desens Sr., who spent 25 years in the Marine Corps, but his mother discouraged him.

Desens is also survived by a fiancee, Keisha Lei Quiroga.

Marine Lance Cpl. Scott E. Dougherty

Cpl. Dougherty

Scott E. Dougherty was a small man who struggled with a stammer -- but in years of military training, his toughness and intensity shone through.

In one-on-one conversations, Dougherty was the kind of man who made you feel like you were the only person in the world, said Father Joseph Connolly.

"Didn't he wrap himself around you when he was talking to you?" Connolly asked mourners at Dougherty's funeral. "He drank you in."

Dougherty, 20, of Bradenton, Fla., was killed in a hostile attack in Iraq on July 6. He was based at Camp Lejeune.

A fan of country and western music, Dougherty liked to fish, snorkel, scuba dive, camp, play paintball and watch NASCAR.

He joined the JROTC as a high school freshman and had proven himself by the time he graduated as a platoon leader. "He was one of the best kids I ever had," said 1st Sgt. Jorge Anaya.

Dougherty is survived by his parents, Keith and Debra Lois Dougherty, and a fiancee, Mathew Musselman.

Army Spc. Robert L. DuSang

Spc. DuSang

It was the allure of massive firepower that attracted Robert L. DuSang to the Army -- and the allure never faded.

"When he enlisted, before he signed the papers, he said, 'I want to shoot big guns and blow things up,"' said John Waters, a cousin. "So they gave him a Howitzer and he liked it so much that he passed up promotions so he could keep shooting it."

DuSang, 24, of Mandeville, La., died June 30 when the truck in which he was traveling overturned after a tire blew out north of the Kuwait border. He had been in Iraq since May 2003 and planned to re-enlist this year.

He was an ROTC member in high school and joined in the Army shortly after graduation, stationed in Fort Polk, La. Despite his love for weaponry, DuSang also had a softer side.

"He was so excited. He couldn't wait to see his baby girl and hold his wife again," said duSang's sister, Jessie Lager. "He didn't make it home, but I know he's at peace."

Army Spc. William R. Emanuel IV

Spc. Emanuel

It wasn't wise to challenge William R. Emanuel IV's stomach. At a Christmas Eve pancake eating contest last year, he beat all entrants by wolfing down 16 peanut-butter-and syrup-laden flapjacks.

"He could really put them away," his mother, Jane Emanuel, said with a laugh.

William Emanuel, 19, of Stockton, Calif., was killed July 8 during a mortar attack on military headquarters in Samarra. He was based in Schweinfurt, Germany.

Emanuel was described by his family as a hard worker who mowed neighbors' lawns, chopped their firewood and watched their pets. While in high school, he worked for a landscaping business, bused tables at a restaurant and worked at a nickel arcade.

He exhibited a sense of fun from early on, relatives said.

"I remember he woke us up one morning yelling like Tarzan and swinging from a curtain," said his aunt Jean Shipley. "He was maybe 2 years old."

Emanuel was very close to his older sister, Tiffany, who was in the Navy, and joining the Army in 2002 gave him a sense of protecting her, his mother said. Instead, it was his sister who picked out his headstone and burial plot.

Marine Lance Cpl. Mark Engel

Mark Engel was the consummate Marine -- he remained a fighter even after being burned on more than 70 percent of his body in fighting in Iraq.

Engel struggled to beat off severe lung damage and kidney failure in a Texas hospital after the July 6 battle in the Al Anbar Province of Iraq.

"He fought a valiant fight for two weeks," said his father, Bill.

The Centennial, Colo., native died July 21, a day before his 22nd birthday. He had been stationed at Camp Lejeune.

Engel enjoyed the outdoors -- from football and rugby to skiing and snowboarding, said his sister, Dana.

He joined the Marines within a couple months of graduating high school in 2001 and was in boot camp on Sept. 11, Bill Engel said. Engel was in the first wave of the invasion of Iraq, and this was his second deployment there.

He is also survived by his mother, Sharon Engel.

Army Sgt. Jeremy J. Fischer

Sgt. Fischer

During Sarah Fischer's last phone call to her husband, the two chatted about how each was doing and about her adventures driving a car with a stick shift. She wouldn't have changed anything about it.

"I told him I loved him about a billion times," she said.

Her husband, Jeremy J. Fischer, 26, of Lincoln, Neb., died July 10 when a roadside bomb exploded near their military convoy outside Samarra.

Sarah Fischer and her husband had dated for 7 years before marrying on Nov. 21, 2003, shortly before he was deployed. He was a member of the Nebraska National Guard, stationed in Lincoln, Neb.

"Pretty much everything was special about him," she said. "Anything that we were together doing, we enjoyed doing. I liked sitting at home. He had to be busy. So we compromised."

Fischer was posthumously promoted to staff sergeant.

Army Spc. Craig S. Frank

Spc. Frank

Craig S. Frank was an avid reader who joined the military because he wanted to serve his country and help pay off student loans.

"He didn't want to burden us with payments," said his father, Timothy Frank. His son was studying education at Eastern Michigan University.

Frank, 24, of Lincoln Park, Mich., was killed near Baghdad when his convoy vehicle hit an explosive device. He was assigned to the Army National Guard in Pontiac, Mich.

Linda Frank described her son as an avid reader, who took 15 books with him when he went to Iraq. "The guys would tease him and say they hadn't read 15 books in their entire lives," she said.

"He would read anything that had words," said his older brother, Tim Frank.

Frank had returned home from June 10 to July 3 to be with his father, who was undergoing open-heart surgery. He returned to Iraq for his second extension of duty and was scheduled for return to the United States on Aug. 11.

Army Spc. Joseph M. Garmback Jr.

Spc. Garmback

Joseph M. Garmback Jr. was a family man who wanted to follow in the steps of his paratrooper father.

"He was a good son. He was a good brother. He had a lot of fun," said his mother, Marlyon Garmback.

Garmback Jr., 24, of Cleveland, was killed July 8, one of five soldiers killed when the Iraqi National Guard headquarters was attacked in Baghdad. He was based in Schweinfurt, Germany.

As a civilian, Garmback worked as a cook and ran parties for a catering company owned by Bill Rini. "Joe was a very kind, compassionate kid who worked for everything he got," Rini said.

Rini introduced Garmback to his best friend, Army Sgt. James Mauer, a recruiter. When Garmback told Mauer he wanted to join the Army, Mauer helped the high school dropout get his diploma at night so he could qualify.

"This was his dream. That's what he wanted to do. He was going to be a lifer. That was the way he would have wanted to die," Rini said.

Garmback is survived by his parents, Joseph Sr. and Marlyon.

Marine Cpl. Todd J. Godwin

Cpl. Godwin

Even as a high school senior, Todd J. Godwin was already dedicated to the Marines.

Godwin joined the Marines under a delayed enrollment program his senior year and worked out with them while attending classes, said Paul Shaver, principal of Zanesville Christian School in Zanesville, N.C.

Godwin, 21, died Tuesday of shrapnel wounds to his face after a bomb exploded while he was conducting combat operations in Iraq's Anbar province. He was stationed at Camp Lejeune.

Godwin was a fun-loving, well-liked and determined student who was a starter on the basketball team.

"If there was something he wanted to accomplish then he was determined enough to make sure that he followed through with that," said Shaver, who also is the school's basketball coach. "His goal was to be a Marine. He wanted to be the best Marine he could be."

Godwin is survived by his parents, Bill and Nancy Kathleen Godwin.

Army Sgt. Jamie Gray

A country boy who grew up in the hills of Vermont, Jamie Gray grew up learning to hunt and fish, snowmobile -- and to give to others.

"He loved protecting people. He was proud of what he did," said Sgt. 1st Class Dan Landry.

Gray, 29, of East Montpelier, was killed June 7 by a roadside bomb in Iraq. He was a member of the Vermont National Guard in Williston, Vt.

A car mechanic in civilian life, fellow soldiers remembered Gray as a man who was quick to help, quick to inspire and quick to lead.

"I can't tell you how many vehicles he repaired for members of the National Guard and their families," said National Guard Staff Sgt. John Adams.

Gray's commanding officer before he left for Iraq, Capt. Dana Tourangeau, said he hand-picked Gray to be in his unit because of his reputation.

"He put a razor-sharp edge on the tip of the spear," Tourangeau said.

Army Pfc. Torry D. Harris

Pfc. Harris

People often turned to Torry Harris for a sympathetic ear.

When fellow soldier Tammy Townsend worried about a diagnosis of ovarian cancer while at their base in Germany, she knocked on Harris' door at 2 a.m.

"He said 'Are you OK?"' Townsend recalled. "I was in tears. I said, 'I can't sleep, I can't think straight.' ... And he just sat up with me and talked to me all night."

Harris, 21, of Chicago, died July 13 of non-combat related injuries in Iraq. He was stationed in Kitzingen, Germany.

Friends and family members described him as sensitive and wise. He also was protective of his sisters while growing up.

When Harris was 12 or 13, a bully teased him and a sister while they walked home from school. Harris told the bully he didn't want to fight. When the bully continued, Harris slammed him against a wall.

"The other boy was like, 'Don't hit me,"' said Harris' sister, Laurie. Harris released the shaken bully and walked on with his sister.

Army Sgt. 1st Class David A. Hartman

Sgt. Hartman

David A. Hartman was a 21-year veteran of the military and a dedicated family man.

"My brother was a family man, a hard worker, very dedicated to the military. It was his job," said Bill Hartman. "He was one of those people you could call and you could count on being there when you called."

Hartman, 41, of Akron, Mich., was killed July 17 when the vehicle he was driving was hit by an explosive device in Beiji. He was stationed at Battle Creek.

A truck driver for an agricultural company in civilian life, Hartman was a veteran of the first Gulf War. His brother said he developed Gulf War Syndrome and could have asked for a medical discharge.

"But he didn't try to get out," Bill Hartman said. "When he saw all the people who were going over there, he told me he wanted to join them, and lead by example."

He leaves behind a wife, Robbin; a 21-year-old son, Benjamin; and an 18-year-old daughter, Heather.

Army Spc. Jeremy Heines

Spc. Heines

Jeremy Heines -- nicknamed "Ketchup" -- was known for going out of his way to cheer people up, whether it was sneaking food to Iraqi children or helping a friend through war-induced depression.

"I never really saw him in a bad mood," said fellow soldier Dejuan Williams. "He always would put a smile on your face. You could be having your worst day, and he would just say, 'Look on the bright side' or make a joke, and you would be out of that bad mood in just a second."

Williams was with Heines, 25, when he was killed by a rocket-propelled grenade that punched through the windshield of his military vehicle during a firefight on June 26.

Heines' fellow soldiers characterized him as a perpetually upbeat guy who planned to come back home to New Orleans and open a bar and start a family.

Heines met his wife, Kristine Hanks of Florida, at Fort Hood before they both were deployed to Iraq. They celebrated their first anniversary in Baghdad.

"He was the most outspoken guy I've ever met about loving his wife," Spc. Christopher Jesseman said.

Marine Lance Cpl. Justin T. Hunt

Cpl. Hunt

When Justin Hunt initially tried to join the Marines, the recruiters didn't have a big enough scale to weigh him.

The hulking athlete, just two years out of high school, was more than 150 pounds too heavy to join the service. But Hunt didn't let that stop him: He worked out, changed his diet and shed the pounds so he could enlist.

Hunt, 22, of Riverside, Calif., died July 6 in an explosion in western Iraq. He had been stationed at Camp Lejeune.

Although a dozen trophies in the family living room attest to Hunt's accomplishments in baseball, wrestling and football, he was far from Marine-fit when he first approached a recruiter in 2002. The Marines estimated the 6-foot-tall Hunt weighed as much as 390 pounds; their scale only went up to 350.

"The recruiters were pretty taken aback by how big I was," Hunt said in a 2003 interview with The Chevron, a newspaper that serves the Marine Corps Recruit Depot in San Diego. "But they were still willing to work with me to help me do what I had to do to become a Marine."

He is survived by his parents, Tom and Debbie Hunt.

Marine Lance Cpl. James B. Huston Jr.

Cpl. Huston

When he shipped out, James Huston Jr. told his parents not to worry about him.

"Think of all of the married Marines with kids," he wrote his parents. "Not some punk like me."

Huston, 22, of Umatilla, Ore., died July 2 in Anbar province when the Humvee he was riding turned over in a canal. He was a rifleman based out of Camp Pendleton, Calif.

Shane Huston said he will remember his brother as "a great Marine, an artist, a hunter, a friend and a big brother."

"There's never been a single person I tried so hard to impress," said another brother, Matthew Huston, who serves in the U.S. Navy.

James Huston joined the U.S. Marine Corps a month after the Sept. 11 attacks. He was in Iraq for the first two months of the war and was redeployed to Iraq in March.

He is survived by his parents, James and Shirley Huston.

"He was the life of the party," Matthew Huston said. "Everyone that met him loved him."

Marine Lance Cpl. Bryan P. Kelly

Cpl. Kelly

As a kid, Bryan P. Kelly played outside with a garden hose, pretending to be a firefighter. As a man, he became a volunteer, but postponed a firefighting career after the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks.

"From that time on, he was kind of fighting a battle between what he felt was his duty and what he wanted to do," said his father Patrick Kelly.

Kelly, 21, enlisted in the Marines in June 2002 and died July 16 of injuries received in fighting in Anbar Province. The Klamath Falls, Ore., native was stationed at Camp Pendleton.

Kelly planned to marry his fiancee, 19-year-old Kate Huntsman, in November.

"I'm very proud of my son," Patrick Kelly said. "He served his country. It cost him a lot. Not too many are willing to do that."

Kelly is also survived by his mother, Joan.

Marine Cpl. Dallas L. Kerns

A two-sentence, handwritten note articulated what the folks in his hometown felt about Dallas Kerns: "You are America's hero -- one of the finest and best. We will never forget you or your ultimate sacrifice."

Kerns, 21, of Mountain Grove, Mo., died July 6 when his vehicle was attacked during a routine patrol just west of Baghdad. He was based at Twentynine Palms, Calif.

At the time of his death, the rifleman was on his second tour of duty in Iraq.

Kerns is survived by his parents, Connie Kerns of Springfield, Mo., and Randy Feltner of Seneca, Kan.

"He gave his life so others may live in peace," the Rev. Ken Roy said as he stood alongside Kern's flag-draped coffin at the Missouri Veterans Cemetery. "But today, Dallas is experiencing perfect peace."

Marine Cpl. Jeffrey D. Lawrence

The question wasn't what Jeffrey D. Lawrence did. It was what he didn't.

"He did some modeling. He tried out for commercials. He was in a lot of plays at Palo Verde. He liked bull riding. He liked all sports. He was very involved," said his mother, Pataki Lawrence.

Jeffrey Lawrence, 22, of Tucson, Ariz., died July 6 when his armored vehicle was hit by an improvised explosive outside Fallujah. He had been stationed at Camp Lejeune.

His family learned of the news just as they prepared to celebrate the birth of his first child. The baby, a girl, was named Cadence Freedom.

"He had the biggest heart of anybody I had ever known. He was a good brother, a good friend, a good son, good husband and I know he would have been a good daddy," said his mother. "This wasn't supposed to happen."

Lawrence also is survived by his wife, Celeste, and father, Daniel.

Army Sgt. Dale T. Lloyd

Sgt. Lloyd

Dale T. Lloyd was a Civil War buff eager to be part of a modern-day conflict.

He joined the Army in July 2000 after graduating from high school in Watsontown, Pa., and had planned to attend college in the fall. Lloyd wanted to be a teacher.

"He had everything figured out," said Amy Bell Beaver, his mother.

Lloyd, 22, died July 19 in a mortar attack in Scandaria, Iraq.

His father, Richard Lloyd, had e-mailed his son just hours before. The younger man was proud and excited that he was soon to become a squad leader and would be responsible for more men.

He had been home for two weeks in late June and early July. "He didn't sleep much during that time," his mother said. "It's almost like he was trying to live the last part of his life."

The day before he left for Iraq, Richard Lloyd drove his son to Fort Drum, N.Y., where the younger man was stationed. Dale told him he had an awful toothache but didn't want to miss the deployment.

"Dad, I can put up with the pain," he told his father.

Army Pfc. Jason N. Lynch

Growing up in the Virgin Islands, soft-spoken Jason Lynch loved the laid back sounds of Reggae music and the sport of cricket. But he always dreamed of being a soldier.

He worked out tirelessly in preparation for basic training and even bought a pellet gun for target practice, said his 14-year-old brother, Jamil.

"Jason always wanted to go into the Army. He wanted to fight. He didn't want to be behind a desk," said his girlfriend Elizabeth Castro, 18, who resisted Lynch's entreaties for her to join the Army, too.

Lynch, of St. Croix, Virgin Islands, died June 18 in an attack in Buhriz, Iraq. He was stationed in Bamberg, Germany.

Lynch turned 21 in Iraq, where he took his assignment in stride, regularly sending letters to his mother, Paula Lynch, and video games home to Jamil. The last such bundle arrived a few days after his death.

"He was never a child to worry about anything. I was always the one who worried," said his mother.