Army Staff Sgt. Jonathan R. Reed

Jonathan R. Reed's family celebrated his birthday by sending him beef jerky, hot sauce and clippings from the sports page. On the phone, he never got to tell all his stories.

"He told me, he said, the last time I talked to him, 'I've got a lot to tell you,"' his father Webster Reed recalled.

Reed, 25, of Opelousa, La., died Jan. 28 in an explosion while on patrol in western Baghdad. He was based at New Roads.

He graduated high school in 1998 and played on the football and baseball teams. He loved riding motorcycles and was a proud Louisiana State University fan who enjoyed tailgating. He was an avid hunter and fisherman.

Reed worked at a Wal-Mart and attended junior college in Eunice. He joined the National Guard five years ago to help pay for his schooling. He was unsure what he wanted to do after he getting home from Iraq, his father said. But he was considering a military career, learning to fly helicopters and becoming a state trooper.

"He loved God, his country, LSU football, baseball. He was a good kid. He was a bright spot in our lives."

Survivors include his wife, Desi, and son, Riley.

Army Spc. Jose A. Rivera-Serrano

Jose A. Rivera-Serrano first enlisted in the Army because of money problems, but had decided to re-enlist for another four years.

"He called me a few days ago and he told me that he loved me very much and he would be here soon," his mother Myrna Serrano said.

Rivera, 26, of Mayaquez, Puerto Rico, was killed by a roadside bomb Dec. 27, when he was on patrol in Baghdad.

He had studied at vocational school in Mayaquez, but was drawn to the Army for financial reasons, his mother said.

He is survived by his wife, Barbara Sanfiorenzo, and four children from two marriages. He was stationed at Fort Hood.

Army Staff Sgt. Joseph E. Rodriguez

Although Joseph E. Rodriguez weighed 8 pounds, 4 ounces at birth, he didn't grow up to be a large guy. That came later.

"More recently he had started lift weights, working out," said his mother, Gloria Nava. "It wasn't until then that I noticed he was really starting to get buffed up."

Rodriguez, 25, of Las Cruces, N.M., died Jan. 28 when insurgents attacked his Humvee in Baghdad. He was stationed at Fort Hood.

After six years of active service, Rodriguez was mulling whether to stay in the Army and try to become a helicopter pilot. A 1998 high school graduate, Rodriguez did well in academics. He also played football and rugby as a teen.

"He always did really well in school," said his mother. "Math was always his best subject. He could add numbers in his head; I know because he always did that for me."

While his stepfather attended school in Arizona, Rodriguez took it upon himself to help around the house. "It was just Joseph and I," Nava said. "He would do all the work over here, and he was just in his early teens."

He is survived by his wife, Leslie, and son, Ethen, 2.

Marine Lance Cpl. Juan Rodrigo Rodriguez

Juan Rodriguez worked at a pawn shop to provide for his parents, who are too ill to work. When he got called to service in Iraq, he was worried.

"He wanted to go to Iraq, but at the same time he was very nervous," said his sister, Fatima. "He was in fear of leaving his parents."

Rodriguez, 23, of El Cenizo, Texas, was killed Jan. 13 in an explosion in Al Anbar Province. The reservist was based in Corpus Christi, Texas.

When his six-year reserve term was up, he planned to go to school to be a police officer.

Rodriguez called his family regularly, and last spoke with them two days before he died. He said he was excited because he was going to be promoted. He was expected home in eight weeks.

Rodriguez made his mark as part of his high school Junior ROTC Marine Corps, which he helped get running. He became battalion commander and helped lead the corps drill team to become national champions.

"I saw him grow," said Zapopan Gonzalez, a secretary who works for the group. "He became a Marine."

Army Spc. Lyle W. Rymer II

At school, Lyle Rymer was steady and focused, teachers said. At home, he took care of his family -- and country.

"He was a quiet kid that took care of his business," said Chuck Davis, a teacher Rymer's high school. "He was the youngest of three kids, and he really wanted to graduate. That was his big thing."

Rymer, 24, of Roland, Okla., was shot and killed by an insurgent Jan. 28 in central Baghdad. He was with the Arkansas National Guard, based at Fort Smith.

Bobby Sue Drake, Rymer's grandmother, said her grandson joined the National Guard two years ago to help his family.

"That's what he decided to do," Drake said. "He liked it. He said, 'Somebody's got to defend this country. It might as well be me.' He was a great kid."

Rymer is survived by his wife, LaTisha, a son, Sean, 2, and a 10-month-old daughter, Jasmine, whom he last saw during a two-week furlough in November.

Marine Lance Cpl. Gael Saintvil

Belga Saintvil said he was leery of his son going to Iraq and pleaded with him not to go.

But Gael Saintvil wouldn't budge. "He said, 'Pappy, I must go and be with my unit,"' his father said. "He wanted to be there so bad."

Saintvil, 24, of Orange, Fla., died Jan. 26 in a helicopter crash near Rutbah. He was stationed at Marine Corps Base in Hawaii.

Gael played basketball and football regularly with his siblings, took them to movies and helped them with their homework. "First of all he was a big brother," said his father.

He was a hero to his younger brother, Blasher Saintvil, 14. "He always helped me. When I needed something he was there for me," he said. "He called me every chance he got."

He graduated high school in 1998 and was studying business administration at Florida Metropolitan University when he decided about three years ago that he wanted a change of pace.

Gael eventually wanted to be an engineer or a policeman. "He was a very decent gentleman with enthusiasm and with a goal to do the best he could," said his father.

He also is survived by his mother, Belga.

Marine Cpl. Nathan A. Schubert

Cpl. Schubert

Nathan A. Schubert approached life like he approached football -- he always worked hard and never took a day off from practice.

"Nathan was a very competitive kid. Athletically, he was undersized, but he really made up for it with quickness and determination," said football coach Bill Messerole.

Schubert, 22, of Cherokee, Iowa, died Jan. 26 -- the day before his 23rd birthday -- in a helicopter crash near Rutbah. He was based at Kaneohe Bay, Hawaii.

He graduated from high school in the spring of 2001 and had just begun studies at Kirkwood Community College in Cedar Rapids when the Sept. 11 attacks occurred. He soon signed up.

During the war, Schubert had been involved in numerous gunfights in Fallujah, including some in which fellow Marines were killed and wounded.

"He had a big heart," said his older brother, Matthew. "He was pretty carefree. He didn't let things bother him. He just lived life to the fullest."

His hobbies included doing anything outdoors, including pheasant and deer hunting, and fishing and canoeing.

He also is survived by his mother, Cheryl Winklepleck.

Marine Lance Cpl. Darrell J. Schumann

Darrell J. Schumann had survived fierce door-to-door fighting in Fallujah and was counting down to one more mission before heading home in 10 days.

"They were proud of what they had done," said his father, Richmon.

Schumann, 25, of Hampton, Va., was among the 31 killed Jan. 26 when a helicopter crashed in bad weather in Iraq. He was stationed at Marine Corps Base Hawaii.

He is survived by his wife, Nicole.

Schumman's parents had ties to the Air Force -- his father is retired and his mother remains on active duty -- and so he grew up in different parts of the globe, including Germany, Alaska and Georgia.

Schumann was the free spirit in the family who always sought "to blaze his own trail," said his brother, Richmon Schumann Jr. He joined the Marines to be different from his parents, his brother said.

"His last letter to us, which we received last week, said: 'I do wish America could see how awesome a job we are doing over here without it being construed by the media. It's really an honor to be fighting alongside these men,"' his father said.

Marine Lance Cpl. Nazario Serrano

Cpl. Serrano

Nazario Serrano couldn't wait to meet his infant son and marry his high school sweetheart when he returned home on leave. Instead of preparing for his wedding, family members prepared for his funeral.

Serrano, 20, of Irving, Texas, was killed Jan. 30 by small-arms fire. He was stationed at Camp Pendleton.

Jesus Serrano said his son had seen photos of 4-month-old Landon Heath, but had not met him.

"He saw him only in pictures and on the Internet," he said. "They were just waiting for him to come back. ... He was going to get married and start his life."

Serrano had proposed to his fiancee, Amanda Story, 19, whom he met at Irving High School, on Valentine's Day. The couple planned a small family wedding.

Serrano is also survived by his mother.

Marine 1st Lt. Dustin M. Shumney

As a father of three, Dustin Shumney found his second tour of duty in the Middle East particularly hard.

"There were young kids who would come out shooting, and it was hard for him to deal with that because we have kids the same age," said his wife, Julie.

Shumney, 30, of Vallejo, Calif., was among the 31 killed Jan. 26 when a helicopter crashed in bad weather in Iraq. He was stationed at Marine Corps Base Hawaii.

Shumney played football in high school and later earned a bachelor's degree in criminal justice from Sacramento State University while working as an assistant manager at a supermarket.

He met his wife at restaurant, and the two learned they were both half Croatian and half Irish. They married in 1996 and have three children: Julie's son Jordan, 12; Mallory, 8; and Conner, 3.

"He came to me after our youngest son was born and said, 'Do you want to travel and see the world while the kids are still young?"' she recalled Friday. "He felt being in the Marine Corps maybe we could give something back."

Marine Lance Cpl. Jason E. Smith

Cpl. J. Smith

Jason E. Smith's last letters home talked about wanting to tell people about the "scary" times of war -- the horrors of seeing "dead bodies" and "dead Marines."

While he shared his doubts about being in Iraq, he said he had also come to a new understanding.

"Someone needs to do it," he wrote. "I'm glad to help these innocent Iraqis out."

Smith, 21, of Phoenix was killed Dec. 31 while on patrol in Al Anbar province. He was based at Camp Pendleton.

Smith loved baseball and was a good enough pitcher to earn a scholarship to Glendale Community College. But he passed up the opportunity in order to enlist in the Marines, deciding he wanted to "grow up" before trying for a career in the sport.

In the months before his death, he had dropped his rebellious ways and become religious. Before the offensive on Fallujah, he was baptized by Chaplains who filled rubber dinghies with water.

"It was like he grew up to another level at the end," said his father, Glenn.

His last letters to his father and mother, Jodi, arrived the day of his death.

"Reading them after set us at ease," his father said. "It provided a final chapter to his worldly life."

Marine Cpl. Matthew R. Smith

Cpl. M. Smith

As a toddler, Matthew Smith would carry around a toy gun and play at his future career as a marksman.

"He would walk around and say, 'I'm going to protect you guys,"' said his mother, Colleen Parkin.

Smith, 24, of West Valley, Utah, was among the 31 killed Jan. 26 when a helicopter crashed in bad weather in Iraq. He was stationed at Marine Corps Base Hawaii.

Smith was fulfilling a lifelong dream by becoming a Marine in 2001. His father Gary described him as a news junkie, always hungry for timely updates from newspapers, magazines and especially from the family.

Had he made it back to base, he would have been greeted by a flood of e-mails from his anxious mother: She estimated the number at about 600.

She has one last message for him, though this one won't be e-mailed.

"I'm proud of you," Parkin said, fighting back tears. "I can't wait to wrap my arms around you and tell you, 'I love you."'

Army Spc. Michael J. Smith

Spc. M. Smith

As a teenager, Michael Smith dropped out of high school and sang in a heavy-metal band. So his decision to join the Army was made even more surprising when his long locks were shaved into a crew cut.

"He thought it was important that we be there and help these people," said his father, James H. Smith. "He was all about helping and doing what he could to help liberate these people, politics aside."

Smith, 24, of Media, Pa., was killed Jan. 11 when a rocket-propelled grenade hit his military vehicle in Ramadi.

He is survived by his wife, Oksana, whom he met while stationed at Camp Casey, South Korea.

Smith had been close to his father since the boy's mother died of cancer in 1995. The two spoke about every other week during Smith's six months of service in Iraq.

Michael Smith last visited home in September; his father said he showed no fear of returning to Iraq.

"He was there to do his job, which he loved. He often said that 'I'm doing what I'm trained to do,"' James Smith said.

Marine Lance Cpl. Joseph B. Spence

Cpl. Spence

Joseph Spence first asked permission to marry his childhood sweetheart, Elisabeth Bertsch, when he was 16 and she was 14. Her parents said no. Spence kept asking.

"I must have told him no half a dozen times," said Elisabeth's father, David Bertsch.

Privately, they admired Spence's determination -- and when he showed up after boot camp in his Marine uniform, they knew it was time to allow the union.

Spence, 24, of Scotts Valley, Calif., was among the 31 killed Jan. 26 when a helicopter crashed in bad weather in Iraq. He was stationed at Marine Corps Base Hawaii.

Soon after he left for Iraq, Elisabeth gave birth to the couple's daughter, Providence. Spence never saw her in person, but was able to connect via videoconference at Christmas.

"He had nine days to go there in Iraq," David Bertsch said. "We are just crushed he didn't make it."

Spence's father was a Marine, and he never wavered in his resolve to fight.

"He enjoyed his time over there. He wasn't one of those 'What am I doing here' cases," his brother Roger said. "He was where he wanted to be."

Marine Lance Cpl. Michael L. Starr Jr.

Cpl. Starr

Michael L. Starr Jr. was so motivated by the prospect of joining the Marines that he became an honor student his senior year in high school.

Robin Starr said her son's enthusiasm did not stop there, either: "He had a lot of friends, a lot of friends, and he recruited a lot of friends into the Marines," she said.

Starr, 21, of Edgemere, Md., was killed in the Jan. 26 helicopter crash that left 31 dead. He was stationed at Kaneohe Bay base in Hawaii.

Starr told his family he hoped to transfer out of Iraq and use his four years of military experience in a career as a Baltimore police officer.

Starr became homesick, but never complained about conditions in Iraq, his mother said.

"He was very proud of what he did, and he was very comforted in the fact that he thought he was protecting his family," she said.

In an e-mail to his mother, Starr wrote that he was "content knowing I fought house to house like the Marines in Hue City in Vietnam. ... And I'm a huge part of American history now."

Starr is also survived by his father, Michael Starr Sr.