Army Spc. Azhar Ali

Azhar Ali left Pakistan for New York at the age of 14 and dreamed of becoming a police officer. He planned to join the New York Police Department after serving in the National Guard.

"When I heard he was going to Iraq for America, I was proud," said his father, Mubarak Ali, who lives in Pakistan. "He was a very sweet son -- very loving, caring."

Azhar Ali, 27, of New York, was killed March 2 when an explosive detonated near his vehicle in Baghdad. He was based in New York.

One of nine children, Ali joined the military after graduating from high school and patrolled Grand Central Terminal after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.

The day he died, he was part of a crew that responded to another roadside bombing and rescued those who were wounded. "He died a great soldier," said Sgt. Adrian Melendez.

Army Staff Sgt. Andrew L. Bossert

Sgt. Bossert

Andrew Bossert wanted to build a house for his wife and planned to use his Army benefits to pay for college and study architecture.

Bossert, 24, of Fountain City, Wis., was killed March 7 when a car exploded at a checkpoint in Iraq. He was based out of Camp Howze, Korea.

His mother, Diane, said her motorcycle-loving son spent one semester at the University of Wisconsin-Stout, but could not get the classes required for architecture. So, he stored his bike at his parents home and joined the Army for the future college benefits.

Known as Andy, Bossert met his wife, Olya, during his posting in Korea and the couple married in 2002. He was sent to Iraq last year, where he was part of a unit that searched for bombs and other explosives.

The job was dangerous, but it suited Bossert because he was a night owl, said his mother. Searches were often done at night, when it was less dangerous to be out, she said.

Army Spc. Travis R. Bruce

Spc. Bruce

Travis Bruce wrote home about the close calls, like the night someone dressed like an American soldier tossed a bomb into a nearby tent.

The Military Police officer was apprehensive about his second tour in Iraq. The first time, he guarded U.S. administrator Paul Bremer and other VIPs. This time, he guarded Saddam Hussein's palaces.

"He thought he was really lucky to get out of there (alive) the first time," said Jerry Bruce, an uncle.

Travis Bruce, 22, of Byron, Minn., was killed March 23 in Baghdad, Iraq, when a mortar round detonated near his position. He was based at Fort Lewis.

In high school, Bruce loved playing sports, especially football and baseball, and worked at a rib joint for extra money. The 2002 graduate enlisted in the Army to help pay for college and followed his father and grandfather in becoming a Military Policeman.

"He just wanted to better himself," said his mother, Vickie Bruce.

He was hoping to return to the United States soon so he could begin training as a K-9 officer in Texas. He is also survived by his father, Kenneth Bruce.

Army Sgt. 1st Class Donald W. Eacho

Sgt. Eacho

When he called home from Iraq, Donald Eacho left long messages on the answering machine, taking care to pause so his 5-year-old son could talk back to it. The little boy didn't know the voice was recorded.

Now Eacho's wife Bonnie plays the messages over and over to hear his voice again.

"I loved being married to him," she said. "He was my best friend."

Eacho, 38, who lived with his family in Watertown, N.Y., was killed March 4 in Ramadi, Iraq with three other soldiers when an explosive detonated near their patrol. He was stationed at Fort Carson.

He is survived by his wife and two sons.

The 17-year Army veteran grew up in Wisconsin, listed his hometown as Black Creek, Wis., with the Army. He joined the National Guard in his senior year of high school and signed up for the Army not long after graduation.

"It made him feel good doing something important," said his mother, Diane.

In 2003, he was awarded the Soldier's Medal, an Army honor for heroism away from the battlefield, for rescuing a 4-year-old girl and her grandfather when they were trapped in an overturned car.

Army Pfc. Michael W. Franklin

Michael Franklin was a spiritual man, but that didn't stop him from being tough. On the football field, he was a force to be reckoned with.

"He would go up against guys bigger than him and he would level them," said Fletcher Brothers, the founder of a teen village in Lakemont, N.Y., where Franklin went to school.

Franklin, 22, of Coudersport, Pa., was killed March 7 when a car bomb detonated near his checkpoint in Ramadi. nearby. He was based at Camp Howze, Korea.

Franklin joined the Army to follow in the footsteps of two uncles. He volunteered to go to Iraq and then took on dangerous missions to keep married men from having to go.

"One day he called and said, 'Mom, I volunteered to go to Iraq,"' said his mother, Tina. "I probably could have stopped him, because he's my son. But he's a man, and he's old enough to make his own decisions. He was so excited about it."

In Iraq, Franklin prayed with his squad leader the night before the squad leader died. He was there for his fellow soldiers, said Brigadier Gen. Michael J. Lally III.

"He knew how to liven their spirits," Lally said.

Army Sgt. Seth Garceau

Sgt. Garceau

Dominic Grass will always have a living reminder of his best friend, Seth Garceau. After all, he named his son in his honor.

"Seth made me a better soldier, man, friend and husband," Grass said. "As I call out to my son each day, I will be reminded of a truly great friend."

Garceau, 22, of Oelwein, Iowa, died March. 4 from injuries he received from a roadside bomb between Karbala and Ramadi. He was based in Burlington, Iowa.

Garceau graduated from high school in 2001. High school Principal Tim Gilson remembered Garceau as a positive kid.

"You don't have to be somebody that stands out as soloist in the band. You can still make a difference by just being a good kid that enjoys life and was in school every day," Gilson said.

As a sophomore, Garceau took a job sweeping floors and doing clean-up work at Steve's Auto Body in Oelwein. Owner Steven Cummings said Garceau was always eager to learn and help out with other tasks.

He brought the same work ethic to the National Guard.

"I never heard him say a bad word about the duties," Cummings said.

He is survived by his parents, Rick and Lori.

Army Sgt. Lee Godbolt

When Lee Godbolt told his aunt he was heading for Iraq, she did everything she could to stop him.

"I was riding on his back, saying, 'Lee, please don't go,"' said his aunt Mae Hagan, whom he called Fay. "He said, 'Fay, I'm going to be all right."'

Godbolt, 23, of New Orleans, was killed in Baghdad when an explosive detonated near his vehicle. The National Guardsman was based in New Orleans.

Relatives said Godbolt was a well-behaved, fun-loving young man who liked basketball and rap music and wanted to succeed after graduating from high school.

His mother, Denise, said her son entered the military as a step toward a better future. He had been in the Guard for three years, and was scheduled to return from Iraq in October.

Godbolt's uncle, Kevin Hagan, said his nephew sent pictures of Iraqi children to whom he had given some of his rations because they didn't have enough to eat.

"He put his life on the line for his country," Hagan said. "He died for a cause. Let's hope that the way he lived will set an example for others."

Army Staff Sgt. Donald D. Griffith Jr.

Donald Griffith Jr. picked things up quickly -- from carpentry to computers to skiing. But he didn't let his natural abilities keep him from working hard. He took all the training he could in the Army, even when it wasn't required.

Griffith's captain said he "was the first person out all the time, and the last person back. He was the bravest soldier he ever met," said his sister, Amanda Weber.

Griffith, 29, of Mechanicsville, Iowa, died March 11 shielding fellow soldiers from a suicide bomber in Telefar, Iraq. He was stationed at Fort Lewis.

Known as "Don Don" to his family and Donnie to his friends, the motorcycle enthusiast joined the Army about eight years ago. He is survived by his wife, Stacy.

Griffith's mother, Diane, said her son was last in Mechanicsville in June to visit his family.

"He came back to surprise us for his brother's graduation," she said.

His funeral procession was led by a rumbling escort of Harley Davidson motorcycles, and his own Harley was driven by a family friend.

Army Capt. Sean Grimes

Capt. Grimes

If you were hurt in Iraq, Sean Grimes' face was the one you wanted to see at the hospital. He enjoyed treating both Iraqi citizens and U.S. soldiers.

"He felt in Iraq that he was making a positive difference, especially since he was providing medical services to Iraqi civilians as well as American soldiers," said Henry Kearney, a family spokesman.

Grimes, 31, of Southfield, Mich., died March. 4 in Ramadi when a bomb detonated near his patrol. He was assigned to Fort Carson.

He earned a bachelor of science in nursing from Michigan State University in 1997. During his 13-year career in the military, Grimes held several medical service positions, including emergency nurse and physician's assistant.

Grimes loved his job because it allowed him to travel. When he was stationed in Germany, he explored most of Europe, Kearney said. While in Korea, Grimes visited Japan and China.

He loved all kinds of music and dancing with friends, Kearney said. He is survived by his parents, Mary and Donald.

Army Spc. Paul M. Heltzel

Spc. Heltzel

Paul Heltzel retired from the military recently after 20 years of service, but was recalled to active duty and sent to Iraq.

Family members said he wasn't the type to resent being called to serve his country.

"Like he said, he'd rather die in combat than die an old man," said his brother, Ronald.

Heltzel, 39, of Baton Rouge, La., was on foot patrol March 15 when a car bomb killed him and injured several other soldiers. He was based in Eunice, La.

Another brother, Phil Heltzel, said he heard his brother saved two people's lives by pulling them away from the blast.

"He was always taking care of soldiers," said his wife, Christy Wyble-Heltzel. "Even in his death, Paul was taking care of injured soldiers."

After leaving active duty, Heltzel, a native of Indiana, worked at a boot camp for juveniles in trouble with the law in Louisiana. But family members said he always wanted to be a military man.

"When he was over here about a year ago he said, 'I can't stand civilian life, I just don't fit in,"' said his aunt, Jeanie Radman.

Army Sgt. Jonathan A. Hughes

Sgt. Hughes

In the Army, Jonathan A. Hughes would just nod his head when he was assigned a task.

"He never complained or required any special attention. He just did his job and did it well," said Hughes' company commander, Capt. Lawrence Joiner.

Hughes, 21, of Lebanon, Ky., died March 18 when a roadside bomb hit his vehicle on the road to Baghdad International Airport. He was based in Campbellsville, Ky.

Known as Adam, Hughes graduated high school in 2002. "He was one of those kinds of people where everybody who talked with him or met him immediately had a like for him," said his high school principal, Chuck Hamilton

Joiner said Hughes wanted "a better way of life for everyone, no matter what race, what religion or what country."

He is survived by his wife, Sara, and 9-month-old son, Peyton.

"I do believe that if Adam was given a chance to live his life again, he wouldn't change a thing," said Daniel Robinson, a friend of Hughes' since sixth grade. "He would still be with Sara and he still would make the choice to join the Army National Guard."