Army Staff Sgt. Joseph W. Stevens

Sgt. Stevens

In the early days of the war, Joseph Stevens told his family about how he was killing time with scorpion-versus-spider fights in buckets. But when he last came home, things seemed to have changed.

"He was on edge; every little noise, he was looking around," said his mother, Alice Valdez.

"When he came home on the July 5, I asked him how he slept and he said, 'OK, until I heard shots; then I sat up and started looking for my gun and couldn't find it. Then I realized it was Fourth of July."'

Stevens, 26, of Sacramento, Calif., was among five soldiers killed Jan. 24 when their Bradley Fighting Vehicle overturned in a canal. He was stationed in Vilseck, Germany.

Stevens had been in the military for six years and recently re-enlisted for four more. He had been married for four years but recently divorced.

Stevens' sister, Amanda Wellons, said their last goodbye was difficult. After checking his bags at the airport, she began to cry. "He said, 'You guys have to go,' " she said. "When we dropped him off at the airport, in my heart I knew that was the last time I would see him alive."

Marine Sgt. Jesse W. Strong

Sgt. Strong

Jesse W. Strong found it funny, while walking to work, to pretend to stumble into poles and street signs -- just to amuse drivers and himself.

When he left for college, the employees at the market where he worked gave him a plaque that read, "Happiest Man Alive." While in Iraq he'd recite entire pieces of dialogue from "Rocky" just to make the other Marines laugh.

Strong, 24, of Irasburg, Vt., died Jan. 26 in an ambush northeast of Baghdad. He was based at Lynchburg.

He was a 2003 Liberty University graduate and went on to Southeastern Seminary in Charlotte, N.C.

He pretended to trip when he graduated from Liberty University. So his father, in tribute, stumbled up the steps to the podium to introduce the Rev. Jerry Falwell at his son's funeral. "I had to do that for Jesse," said the Rev. Nathan Strong. He also is survived by his mother, Vicki.

"If he had a bad day he didn't show it," said graduate student Linley Harrison, a friend.

Strong also was known for his impersonations, from Elmo and Big Bird to one of the men he admired most -- Jerry Falwell.

"Your son was unusual," Falwell told Strong's parents.

Marine Lance Cpl. Harry Swain IV

Cpl. Swain

Like many young men his age, Harry Swain loved computer games, and had compiled a small library of gaming books he shared with a best friend.

William Jackson, 21, said he and Swain were inseparable, growing up together and playing computer games and Dungeons and Dragons.

"We were thinking of taking some time off and maybe going on a road trip together," Jackson said. "He lent me all his gaming books, and they're now sitting in a stack here."

Swain, a 21-year-old Millville, N.J., native based in North Carolina, was killed Jan. 31 by an explosion about 70 miles south of Baghdad. His 19-year-old brother Jaymes, also serves in Iraq.

Harry Swain signed up for service the day after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.

"We're so proud of him," said his father, Harry Swain III. "It was only 11 more days before he came home. This is so horrible."

Swain also is survived by his mother, Deborah Lago.

Army Sgt. Brett D. Swank

Sgt. Swank

When he was last home, Brett D. Swank summoned up the courage to speak to third graders at the elementary School where his stepmother teaches.

"He said the 85 third graders made him more nervous than being in Iraq. He did a wonderful job with the kids," said his stepmother, Rebecca Swank.

Swank, 21, of Northumberland, Pa., was killed Jan. 24 by a homemade bomb in western Baghdad. He was based at Fort Polk.

Swank was accepted to Colorado State University, but deferred because he wanted to complete his Army service. He began basic training months after graduating -- on Sept. 11, 2001.

In high school, he was co-captain of the soccer team, a ski club member and competed in track and field.

Swank's grandfather served during World War II, but Swank's father, Daniel, said his son was influenced by Army Rangers who came to talk to classmates.

"We sat down one night at dinner and I said I don't think you want to do it," Daniel said. "He said I want to do it -- I'll get my money for college. It was pretty cool a 17-year-old had a plan."

He also is survived by his mother, Debbie Santucci.

Army Sgt. Robert W. Sweeney III

Sgt. Sweeney

Shortly after the Sept. 11 attacks, Robert Sweeney III told a local newspaper that folks had the wrong idea about people his age.

"People like to say our generation are slackers that don't care much about anything. But they'll see that's wrong," he said. "If they call me up, I'm ready. Those (Sept. 11 victims) didn't sign any papers to die for their country. But I did."

Sweeney, 22, of Pineville, La., was killed Jan. 10 when an explosive hit his vehicle in Baghdad. He was based in Lake Charles, La.

Sweeney was a member of the JROTC in high school and attended Louisiana College, majoring in criminal justice. He was a sophomore, having missed some semesters because of National Guard duties.

His death was among a string of casualties from Louisiana's guard. Just days before his death, Sweeney's father had ordered his passport, just in case his son was injured and taken to a hospital in Germany.

"My son was one of our brave soldiers who gave his life so others could live in a democracy," Robert Sweeney II said.

Army Sgt. Nathaniel T. Swindell

Nathaniel T. Swindell had been married for just a few months when he called his wife from Iraq to tell her he missed her.

"'I miss waking up to you in the morning and kissing your forehead to wake you up,"' his wife Sabrina remembers him saying Jan. 14. He died the next day.

Swindell, 24, of New York, was accidentally shot by an Iraqi National Guardsman in Mosul, his family said. He was based at Fort Lewis.

"He was great," his 19-year-old widow said. "He was perfect. We never fought once."

Swindell had joined the Army shortly after graduating from high school. He loved hip-hop and making people laugh, and he made Sabrina his wife just eight months after meeting her at a dance club.

"We were driving in the car and he said, 'You know what? I would like you to marry me and I am not going to give up until you do,"' Sabrina Swindell said. "He always took care of me."

The couple was married in August, two months before Swindell returned to Iraq for his second tour of duty.

Navy Lt. Cmdr. Keith Edward Taylor

Throughout his military career, Keith Taylor always took the tough jobs, but never forgot to smile.

The 47-year-old Navy reservist had served in Bosnia, Haiti and Iraq, where he helped award contracts to reconstruct the war-scarred country.

Taylor, assigned to U.S. Naval Forces, Central Command, died Jan. 29 in a rocket attack on the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad.

"He was a top-performing guy and always took the tough jobs," said Capt. Steve Ethridge. He said Taylor was positive and enjoyed talking to everyone.

"He would have a smile on his face most of the time," Ethridge said. "He's a good man."

Taylor lived in Irvine, Calif., but grew up in Jacksonville, Fla., where he joined the Navy after graduating from high school in 1975. Taylor became a reservist about 14 years ago.

Taylor had five weeks left on a six-month deployment. He's survived by a wife and three young daughters.

Army Staff Sgt. Thomas E. Vitagliano

Sgt. Vitagliano

Thomas Vitagliano had a childlike side that helped him earn the nickname "Kindergarten Marine." Children loved him -- and loved to climb over him like a jungle gym.

"You always looked out for the underdog," his mother, Lise Severine, said at a memorial service. "I thank you for trying to make this a better world."

Vitagliano, 33, of New Haven, Conn., was killed in a Jan. 17 explosion in Ramadi. He was stationed at Camp Casey, South Korea.

In his last moments, when Vitagliano realized an approaching vehicle was manned by a suicide bomber, he pushed another soldier to safety. The soldier was injured, but because of Vitagliano's actions he will live, said Col. Gary Patton, Vitagliano's brigade commander.

"Even in his last breath and action Tommy was taking care of his soldiers," he said.

His bravery came as no surprise to those who knew him.

"When something went down, you wanted him there," said Pat Speranzo, who served with Vitagliano in the Marines.

Vitagliano is also survived by a fiance, Nerina Giolli, and his father, Gaetano Thomas Vitagliano.

Army Spc. Kenneth G. VonRonn

Skinny but strong, Kenneth VonRonn shrugged off pain. When he was hit by shrapnel during fighting last year, he joked that the action figure he regularly stuck in his flak jacket was the one who got hurt.

"Batman took it for me," he said.

VonRonn, 20, of Bloomingburg, N.Y., died Jan. 6 in a roadside bomb blast outside the village of Awad al-Hussein, north of Baghdad. He was based in New York and is survived by his wife, Kira.

A strong-willed joker, VonRonn's childhood was filled with hiking, shooting, model-making and practical jokes.

He joined the National Guard after graduating from high school in 2003, at first hiding his enlistment from Kira, his sweetheart since sixth grade. He became a medic with an eye toward becoming a registered nurse, then a pediatrician.

"He wanted to finish school, settle down and have a normal life that didn't involve war," said his best friend, Dan Boen.

On the day he died, VonRonn spoke to his wife but cut the conversation short.

"He said, 'I have to go on a mission. It will last only eight hours and then I will call you,"' she said. "It was only supposed to be eight hours."

Marine Cpl. Christopher L. Weaver

Cpl. Weaver

Marine Capt. John Kuniholm easily picked up on what set Christopher L. Weaver apart: He was quiet, but when he had something to say he could address it with intelligence and insight.

His platoon call sign, Kuniholm said, was "Silent Fox."

Weaver, 24, of Fredericksburg, Va., died Jan. 26 during an ambush in Anbar province. He was based at Lynchburg.

He was an Eagle Scout and a 1998 high school graduate. He took several Advanced Placement classes and was a member of the German and chess clubs. He also participated in Students Against Drunk Driving.

A quote next to his name of his senior yearbook reads, "Two birds tied together have four wings, yet cannot fly."

He also was a 2002 graduate of Virginia Tech, where he was known to be a leader and a guy with a sense of humor. "If you went to him for help, he was always available," said Tom Marlow, who got to know Weaver at the Theta Xi fraternity.

"The times he was happiest was during the simple things, like sitting around and watching a movie with friends," said Jeff D'Anza, a friend.

He is survived by his parents, David and Sharon Weaver.

Army Pfc. Curtis L. Wooten III

It's perhaps telling that Curtis L. Wooten III was able to make friends even when in deep, deep trouble.

Michael Parker said he met Wooten when they were both seventh-graders, sitting in the principal's office one day. They'd been sent there from separate classes, got to talking and were friends ever since.

"He always made you laugh and smile whenever you'd be with him," said Sarah Failey, another friend from school.

Wooten, 20, of Spanaway, Wash., died Jan. 4 when a roadside bomb blew up near his vehicle in Balad. He was stationed at Schweinfurt, Germany.

Wooten, whose parents both served in the Army, was born at Fort Riley, Kan., and lived around the world before his parents divorced. After graduating high school in 2002, Wooten enlisted in the Army to get health insurance and money for college.

Rap, jazz and R&B music were a big part of his life. For fun, he and his mother would pretend they were on "Soul Train" and dance around the house. Wooten had planned to become a music promoter and producer.

He is survived by his parents, Curtis Wooten Sr. and Dairyene.

Army Spc. Viktar V. Yolkin

Spc. Yolkin

Viktar V. Yolkin came to America from Belarus in 1998, and he insisted on joining the Army so he could wear the uniform of the nation he had come to love.

"He was so proud to serve his country, what he considered to be his adopted country," said his ex-wife, Kathryn.

Yolkin, 24, of Spring Branch, Texas, was among five soldiers killed Jan. 24 when their Bradley Fighting Vehicle overturned. He was stationed in Vilseck, Germany.

Kathryn Volkin met her future husband when a friend played a joke on her while Viktar was working as a dishwasher at a restaurant. She ordered a white Russian -- meaning the drink with vodka, coffee liqueur and cream -- but a friend who also worked at the restaurant brought Viktar to her table.

"It was so cute. We had a good laugh about it," she said. "Viktar was painfully shy and my friend thought it was a cute joke, and little did he know we were gonna fall in love."

They were married in May 2001 but divorced in September. In his last e-mail message, Viktar told her he was "still alive, but things are getting pretty bad over here."

"I was waiting for a reply when I got the news," she said.

Army Sgt. 1st Class Mickey E. Zaun

Mickey Zaun began his Army career just after he turned 18, and loved everything -- and everyone -- involved with it.

He thrived alongside a strong circle of friends among his fellow soldiers, including his former wife, Melissa Benoit, an Army paratrooper stationed in Germany, friends said.

Zaun "seemed comfortable with people of all ages. I never saw anything make him angry," said his former sister-in-law, P.J. Eberhardt. "He treated everybody like they were his brothers and sisters."

Zaun, 27, of Brooklyn Park, Minn., died Jan. 28 in Mosul, Iraq, from injuries sustained in a collision between two armored vehicles. He was based at Fort Bragg.

"To us he's one of our kids," said Julie Eberhardt, of Jamestown, N.D., Zaun's former mother-in-law. "We're going to love and miss that kid forever."

Zaun is survived by his parents, Cheryl and Kenneth Zaun.

Marine Cpl. Christopher E. Zimny

To put it bluntly, Christopher E. Zimny had a wild streak.

"He was an enigma. He was a wild child. He had this Kurt Cobain look," said his college roommate Marc Hans. "He was always fighting -- not physically. He would fight authority."

But while working toward his bachelor's degree in social work from Illinois State University, Zimny visited the elderly and worked with children at a day camp.

"You'd bite your lip, wondering if he'd be OK working with the kids," said Hans. "But he was like a kindergarten cop. They loved him."

Zimny, 27, of Glenview, Ill., was killed by a roadside bomb Jan. 31 in Babil Province. He was stationed at Camp Lejeune.

Zimny ran track and could cook up a storm in the kitchen. "He surprised us with what a great baker he was," said his mother, Barbara. He also is survived by his father, Ted.

On the battlefield, Zimny gave his all. He got two Purple Hearts for injuries that included a fractured vertebra, lost toe and damaged hearing.

"After a life of fighting himself, fighting authority and fighting problems, he found himself," said Hans. "He's at peace and doesn't have to fight anymore."