Army Sgt. Tommy L. Gray

Sgt. Gray

Tommy L. Gray had a passion for fishing, for reading comic books -- and for life.

"He loved people and he loved his life," Joyce Gray said of her son. "He smiled all the time. He was such a bright person."

The 34-year-old tank mechanic from Roswell, N.M., died Aug. 3 when he was caught between two vehicles in his unit's motor pool in Taji, Iraq. He was based in Fort Hood.

Gray entered the military in 1989 at the age of 18. He had served in the Army for 15 years before going to Iraq earlier this year. Army officials said his death was under investigation.

Joyce Gray said her son was intensely patriotic.

"He loved his God, his family and his country," she said.

Survivors include his wife, Rene.

Marine Lt. Col. David S. Greene

Col. Greene

David S. Greene had a penchant for mischief making. One day, after training at helicopter flight school, he decided to do something about a pesky pine tree that was blocking the afternoon sun.

Roommate David Weir recalled how Greene and another pilot just cut the tree down.

"This thing crashes. It knocks down four or five other trees," Weir said. "He walks back, sits down and grabs his beer, and says, 'I solved the problem, didn't I?"'

Greene, 39, a Raleigh, N.C., native who lived in Shelburne, Vt., died July 28 when the helicopter he was piloting was hit by ground fire. He was based at Marine Corps Air Station Miramar.

In the same Connecticut church where Greene and his wife were married in 1989, the pilot was eulogized as a man with uncommon integrity and a generous streak.

"If he said he was going to do something, he did it. When he asked for something, he really needed it," said Weir.

Greene is survived by his wife, Sarah, and two children, Jena and Wesley.

Marine Pfc. Fernando B. Hannon

Pfc. Hannon

Fernando B. Hannon inherited a love of baking from his three older sisters -- and a love of watching soap operas.

During his calls home from Iraq, he would needle them for updates of "The Young and the Restless," but he would whisper so the soldiers waiting behind him for the telephone couldn't overhear.

Hannon, 19, of Wildomar, Calif., died Aug. 15 in an explosion in Iraq's Al Anbar Province. He was based at Camp Pendleton.

Even standing 6-feet-3, Hannon could fold himself into the arms of his much shorter mother, Hilaria. He would rest his head on her shoulder and promise that he would see to it that, one day, she wouldn't have to work.

Hannon met his fiancee, Ruth Ponce, in high school. Ponce had a boyfriend and asked Hannon, who did not have a prom date, what he would do if he had one.

Hannon said he would make a corsage by hand, take his date for a walk on the beach and tell her she was beautiful. Several weeks later, Ponce returned, unattached, and asked him to the prom.

"He would laugh with his whole spirit," she said.

Army Sgt. David M. Heath

Sgt. Heath

David M. Heath's sense of humor lightened up otherwise tense situations. For one thing, he didn't lose his temper when he got lost behind the wheel.

"We could be going somewhere and get lost for hours and not argue about it. We'd have fun while we were lost," said his wife, Donna.

Heath, 30, of LaPorte, Ind., died Aug. 16 in Baghdad when his patrol came under fire. He was on his second tour of duty and was stationed in Fort Riley.

Heath, who dropped out of high school in the 10th grade but later earned a GED, was working as a welder in LaPorte when he found his niche in the Army.

"He always said, 'I'm looking for what I should be doing, which direction to go,"' his wife said. "I think he found what he was finally supposed to do."

His father, John David Heath, is a retired Army veteran.

"He always looked up to his father, and he wanted his dad to be proud of him," said David Heath's mother, Lola Modjeska.

Other survivors include a son, Derek, 8, and a stepdaughter, Angela Hayes-Riffel, 13.

Army Spc. Armando Hernandez

Spc. Hernandez

Armando Hernandez couldn't wait to get home and get under his spiffed-up green Mazda MX6.

"He wanted to make it like a racing car," said his sister, Delia Nava. "We were sending him magazines with all the car stuff."

Hernandez, 22, of Hesperia, Calif., died Aug. 1 when a homemade bomb exploded near his guard post in Iraq. He had been based in Schweinfurt, Germany.

Hernandez sent e-mails to his mother, Martha, and other relatives at least once a week from Iraq, sending his love and encouraging his 12-year-old sister to study.

"In every e-mail, he said, 'Please give Destiny a hug and a kiss for me,"' Nava said, referring to her 4-year-old daughter.

The high school football player and track and field team member enrolled briefly at Victor Valley College before joining the Army.

"He was always laughing," said high school classmate Mario Felix. "He had a party at his house before he went into the Army. ... He was happy about going."

Army Spc. Joseph F. Herndon II

Spc. Herndon

Joseph F. Herndon II was the kind of man who collected friends wherever he went.

"He was a big mush, the way he talks about his wife and his family," said Sgt. Chris Bolwell, who served with him.

"Everybody liked him," agreed Sgt. Andrew Fix, Herndon's best man at his wedding. "He was just one of those kids."

Herndon, 21, of Derby, Kan., was shot and killed July 29 while on guard duty in Hawijah, Iraq. He was based at Schofield Barracks and is survived by his wife, Melanie.

Twice wounded since arriving in Iraq, Herndon had twice insisted on returning. Fellow soldiers said Herndon once had to be forced onto a truck to get medical treatment because he didn't want to leave his unit.

Some 1,500 people attended a memorial at his high school where the former football player was remembered as a model of loyalty.

"Joe was your friend whether he knew you for 20 minutes or 20 years," said his friend Loren Flaherty. "You rarely meet someone who can teach you about yourself, but Joe was one of those guys."

Army Capt. Andrew R. Houghton

Capt. Houghton

Andrew R. Houghton had a smile and spirit that touched those who knew him. When news that he had been injured in Iraq spread, his family heard from hundreds of people -- some who had met the soldier only briefly, and some who hadn't seen him in years.

"He had this smile that just exploded whenever you saw him," said Richard Nevle, his high school principal. "Andy was a person who liked to help out and who had an adventuresome spirit. He loved this country."

The 25-year-old platoon commander died Aug. 9 at Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington, D.C., a month after being struck by shrapnel in a rocket-propelled grenade attack near Samarra, Iraq.

While Houghton fought to recover, those who knew him left messages on a Web site chronicling his progress.

"He was one I could never forget," wrote Gay Crissman, the soldier's sixth grade reading teacher. "I am not surprised he died a hero, he was something special when he was 12 years old."

Survivors include his parents, George and Cindy.

Marine Lance Cpl. Seth Huston

Cpl. Huston

Just how tough was Seth Huston? Plenty, if you ask anyone who encountered the rambunctious youngster who grew up to be a Marine.

His father, Steven Huston, can relate a story about his son falling off a chair at a bowling alley and fracturing his skull on the concrete floor. The little guy never shed a tear.

"He was a daredevil. He was always getting hurt, but that boy would never cry," said Steven Huston. "He was always smiling, laughing."

Seth Huston, 19, of Perryton, Texas, died Aug. 21 during fighting in Iraq's Al Anbar Province. He was based at Camp Pendleton.

He had a love of the outdoors that couldn't be suppressed even in Iraq, where his military camp included a small lake.

"We decided to go ahead and send him a fishing pole," his father said. "So there they were, with 60-pound packs on their backs and M-16s strapped to their chests, walking around this lake and fishing. He was fishing in Iraq. Can you believe that?"

Huston is also survived by his mother, Renee.

Army 2nd Lt. James Michael Goins

At a muscular 230 pounds with a fondness for tall Stetson hats, there was no ignoring Mike Goins, nicknamed "Big Country" by his fellow soldiers.

"He was a big boy," said Capt. Kevin Badger. "When he walked into the room, you knew it."

Goins, 23, of Bonner Springs, Kan., was killed Aug. 15 when a militia member scaled the back of his tank and shot through the open hatch.

Despite his imposing demeanor, Goins had a soft side -- he was learning Arabic so he could chat with children he met in Iraq, and he left a standing order with a florist back home to send flowers to his wife, Paula, each month and on special occasions.

"He was that kind of husband," said his mother, Tammy.

Athletic and well-liked, Goins was valedictorian of his high school class and captain of the basketball team. He graduated with honors from Kansas State University, where he was an Army ROTC cadet. He was later based at Fort Hood.

"He was just admired and liked by everybody that knew him," said his father, Jim Goins.

Marine Staff Sgt. John R. Howard

When John Howard was called to a second tour of duty in Iraq, he didn't hesitate.

"He told us that not only did he have to go back there, he wanted to go," said his older brother, Alan. "He wanted to be over there to help those people secure their freedom."

The 26-year-old Covington, Va., native died Aug. 11 in a helicopter crash in Al Anbar Province. He was based at Camp Pendleton, where he lived with his wife, Amie, 5-year-old daughter Kaitlyn and 7-year-old son Sean.

Howard came from a military family -- his grandfather was a Marine sergeant and his father and brother both served in the Navy. When Howard's high school had career fairs, the military recruiters always piqued his interest, his guidance counselor said.

Howard joined the Marines just after graduation, though his mother, Kathryn, begged him not to. As a compromise, he agreed to be a mechanic instead of a combat Marine.

"He did love flying in those helicopters," she said. "He said that was his job and those people needed him."

Marine Gunnery Sgt. Shawn A. Lane

Sgt. Lane

Shawn Lane started wearing his father's Air Force hat as a child and wanted to be a soldier by the time he was 8. When he looked into branches of service, the Marines were the quickest to return his calls.

Through the first Gulf War and two tours of duty in the second, the Marine kept his sense of humor.

"He was really quirky and kept everyone in stitches," said his wife, Jennifer.

The 33-year-old from Corning, N.Y. was killed in an attack on July 28 in Al Anbar Province, Iraq. He was stationed at Camp Pendleton.

When he left for a second tour in Iraq in February, the gunnery sergeant's father, John Lane, recalls the Marine's mother saying: "I don't think he's coming back."

But Coralee Lane said her son had told her not to worry. "It's what I've trained to do. And if I don't come back, I'll know I did my duty," she recalls him saying.

Lane also leaves behind a 4-year-old son, Jonathan.

Army Pfc. Ken Leisten

Pfc. Leisten

Kim Strahan's 18-year search for her son ended when she saw his face on the television screen.

While watching the morning news, Strahan learned that Ken Leisten Jr. died July 28 when a roadside bomb exploded near his Humvee in Taji, Iraq. There was no doubt that the Oregon National Guardsman was her 20-year-old son.

"At first, I was like, 'No,"' said Strahan, whose son moved away with his father at age 2. "My second thought was, 'Now I know where he is."'

A few hundred people gathered in Portland to remember Leisten, of Cornelius, Ore., as a tough, quiet and kind man who was easily embarrassed by his father's hugs and kisses. He was stationed in Corvallis, Ore.

Leisten planned to attend college after his return and become a software mogul.

Sgt. 1st Class Phillip V. Jacques, who was also wounded in the attack, recalled Leisten sharing his water with Iraqi children in the 125-degree heat.

"His face is embedded in those children's minds," said Jacques. "That's how all these guys are. They ask for so little and they give so much."

Leisten is also survived by his father, Ken Leisten Sr., and stepmother, Lisa LaBlanc.

Marine Sgt. Richard Lord

Sgt. Lord

As a child, Richard Lord often put on a GI Joe uniform after school, sometimes climbing a tree and asking if his mother could see him despite the camouflage.

"He was going to be in the service his entire life," Karen Lantham said.

The 24-year-old from Fanning Springs, Fla., died Aug. 18 from combat injuries received in Iraq's Anbar province. He was stationed at Camp Lejeune.

He left for boot camp six weeks after graduating high school. "His mission in life was to be a Marine," said his former teacher, Michelle Walker Crawford.

Despite his dedication to the military, Lord's love for his two sons had led him to consider leaving the service to spend more time with them, his mother said. He wanted to move back to Florida to be near his family, she said.

"He just loved his family," Lantham said. "He took very good care of his family."

Survivors include his fiancee, Rosanna Powers, and sons Richard Murle Flash Lord, 2, and Brody Lord, 10 months.

Rosanna's brother, Marine Lance Cpl. Caleb Powers, died in Iraq the day before her fiance.

Marine Lance Cpl. Jacob R. Lugo

Cpl. Lugo

Just before he shipped out to Iraq, Jacob Lugo secretly wed the girlfriend he had known since grade school.

"I'm glad we had the chance to share that together, even though it was only for a short time," said his 21-year-old wife, Lori Shelton. "We were looking forward to telling people once Jacob got back home.

"But it's not happening quite that way."

Lugo, a 21-year-old machine gunner from Flower Mound, Texas, died Aug. 24 while on combat patrol in Al Anbar province. He joined the Marines after graduating high school in 2001, and was based at Twentynine Palms.

Shelton and Lugo secretly married when Lugo returned from his first tour of duty in Iraq and planned to have a big wedding after she graduated from college and he finished his 4-year enlistment.

The day he died, Lugo's father Raul watched an old home video of the boy as a 4-year-old playing with his siblings.

"It reminded me of that little boy and the way he was," the 56-year-old Marine veteran said. "It never even occurred to me what was happening at the time I was watching that video."