Army Sgt. Lindsey T. James

Lindsey James had been married for just two months, and he wanted to be sure Valentine's Day was special. He made his mom promise that if he was unable to get his wife something, she would take care of a gift.

James died Jan. 29, two weeks before Valentine's Day, but his mother made good on her promise. She gave his wife, Jasara, a locket with a picture of James and his name engraved on it.

James, 23, of Urbana, Mo., was killed in Baghdad when an explosive detonated near his patrol. He was based at Fort Drum.

After graduating from high school, James worked as a welder in Texas for several months before deciding to join the military in 2002. He said it was something he needed to do, even though his older brother, who served three years in the military, tried to talk him out of it.

"I told him, I support whatever you do, but your timing sucks," said his mother, Sandra McFarland.

The fun-loving James had a hard time keeping a straight face for his military picture.

"See that grin on his face," McFarland said, as she pointed to a picture of her son. "That's Lindsey."

Army Chief Warrant Officer Charles S. Jones

Charles S. Jones' father wouldn't let him drive on snow-packed roads. So he would walk five or six miles through the snow just to visit his high school sweetheart, Deborah Harris.

The two married 16 years ago and had four children, ages 4 to 15.

"They made a wonderful life. He was a great family man. If he wasn't working he was with his family," said his father-in-law, Grover Harris. "He took care of my daughter and my grandchildren."

Jones, 34, who listed his address as Lawtey, Fla., was killed Jan. 28 in a helicopter accident in Baghdad. He was based at Fort Hood.

Born in Missouri, Jones grew up in various places around the country as his father spent 30 years in the Air Force. He graduated from high school in Arkansas, where he met his future wife.

As a child, Jones would plaster the walls of his bedroom with posters of military planes.

"He had always wanted to fly," said his mother, Allene Jones.

Her son spent 11 years in the Navy, but when he was unable to become a pilot, he switched services, joining the Army.

Army Sgt. 1st Class Michael D. Jones

Michael Jones would get up at 4 a.m. to call his wife Lori from Iraq.

He was family man who doted on his granddaughter, made time to coach his young nephew in basketball and baseball, and lived within a few miles of many relatives.

Jones, 43, of Unity, Maine, died March 3 after surgery in New York to remove a blockage in his intestines. He had just returned from more than a year in Iraq and was assigned out of Belfast, Maine.

Jones' room in Iraq resembled a community center because so many soldiers sought out his advice, said his commander, Capt. Dean Preston.

People would congregate in Jones' room at night to drink coffee and "solve the world's problems," Preston said.

"More decisions were made in Mike's room than in the operations center," Preston said.

Jones joined the National Guard in 1978 while in high school. In civilian life, he was a truck driver.

He is survived by his wife, two daughters and a son.

Staff Sgt. Ricky A. Kieffer

Staff Sgt. Kieffer

Ricky A. Kieffer was a homebody who loved nothing more than spending time with his family.

"He was a real nice guy," said Al Goodrich, a police sergeant and family friend. "He was a quiet person. You never saw him out a lot. He was either fishing with his dad or at home with his family doing something."

Kieffer, 36, of Ovid, Mich., was killed March 15 by small arms fire in Baghdad. He was based in Detroit.

Kieffer married his wife, Patricia, more than 16 years ago and had two children, Dustin and Kira. He was an avid hunter and fisherman.

Before he was deployed, Kieffer worked as a mechanic for the Michigan National Guard in Lansing.

"He's a hometown hero. He gave his life for what he believed in," Goodrich said.

Army Spc. Matthew A. Koch

Spc. Koch

Jim Vinup, who retired two years ago after 34 years of teaching high school shop, said Matthew A. Koch was such a pleasure to teach that if all students were like him, "I would still be teaching today."

"I'm proud to say that I knew him," Vinup said. "I can't say enough about him."

Koch, 23, of West Henrietta, N.Y., died March. 9 when his vehicle hit a bomb in Taji. A 1999 high school graduate, Koch was based at Fort Riley.

"He was dedicated to the fact that people over there needed help. He was always concerned about other people. He loved children. He was a nice, softhearted kid," said Koch's stepfather, James J. Worman.

Koch loved hunting and fishing so much that artificial lures were placed in his casket.

His father, Dale Koch, said the military had given his son direction. He was surprised at the changes he saw when he last saw him at Thanksgiving. "The kid who skipped school all the time" had matured, said Koch. "He found himself."

He also is survived by his mother, Diane Worman.

Army Pfc. Lee A. Lewis Jr.

To many, it made sense that Lee A. Lewis Jr. would barrel through Iraq as a soldier -- and as a healer.

"It didn't surprise me at all that he was a medic, somebody who wanted to help somebody," said his old football coach Thomas Moore. "And he was a tough guy. He was brave. There's no doubt in my mind he was doing what he thought was right."

Lewis, 28, of Norfolk, Va., died by enemy gunfire March 18 while on patrol in Sadr City. He was based at Fort Stewart.

A 1994 high school graduate, Lewis contributed to the student newspaper and lent his voice to the choral group. He played football, basketball, track and soccer.

Lewis was "just one of those young men you wanted your son to turn out like," said Curtis Newsome, who also once coached Lewis. "He was always first in line, great work habits and work ethic. He just did whatever you asked, whenever you asked."

Lewis later attended Virginia State University and Old Dominion University. He is survived by his wife, Telia, and his 8-year-old stepdaughter, Justina.

Army Spc. Wai P. Lwin

Wai Lwin became an American citizen just last year, but he had dreamed for years of joining the U.S. military. As a young teen, he fashioned a dog-tag replica from paper and wrote on it in black ink: "Wai Lwin, General of the U.S. Eagle Squadron."

"It was his wish to join the military since he was very young," said his father, Thein Zaw Lwin.

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

Born in Burma, Lwin went to high school in New York and was a fan of American music, including Aerosmith and Jon Bon Jovi. He liked Lionel Ritchie so much that he recorded himself singing "Stuck on You" in a makeshift sound studio.

Lwin earned his GED and worked at a restaurant and for a Manhattan jeweler before enlisting in March 2003.

The week before he died, Lwin turned down a two-week leave to go to his grandfather's funeral in Myanmar, the country formerly known as Burma. He was carrying photographs of Buddhist shrines in that country at the time of his death.

Army Master Sgt. Brian A. Mack

Brian Mack had put in long, hard years with the Army and could have taken a job as headquarters staff. Instead, he volunteered to be a platoon sergeant to young Army scouts.

"Most would have sat back and said, 'I've done my time,' but not Mack," said Lt. Robert Decker. "You couldn't drag him away from troops. He risked his life with us every day, being with his boys."

Mack, 36, of Phoenix, died Jan. 13 in Mosul, Iraq, when shrapnel from a roadside bomb hit him as he stood in his Stryker vehicle. He was based at Fort Lewis.

He is survived by his wife, Lisa, and daughter, Ashley, 17.

Mack joined the Army at the age of 20, and soldiers recalled him as a great leader, teacher and mentor. For most of the past couple of years Mack was in charge of advanced specialty training across the 4,200-soldier 1st Brigade.

"He was the best, and he loved to train soldiers," said Carlton Dedrich, who retired last year as the brigade's command sergeant major. "He was the most passionate leader and soldier that I ever met."

Army Spc. Francisco G. Martinez

Francisco "Frank" Martinez had the magic touch when it came to computers.

He was a promising Web-based graphic designer and was quickly assigned to a military tactical operations center because of his computer skills. But he wasn't satisfied staying inside the operations center.

"He felt that he was not doing enough. He volunteered to go out on patrols," said his father, Francisco Martinez.

The younger Martinez, 20, of Fort Worth, Texas, was killed March 20 in Iraq when his patrol came under fire. He was assigned to Camp Hovey, Korea.

Martinez hadn't expressed an interest in becoming a soldier, despite his father's 10-year military career. He abruptly changed his mind when confronted with limited job opportunities.

He enlisted in the Army at age 17, a month after graduating from high school, where he was involved with the technology and theater arts departments.

He is also survived by his mother, Carmen Hernandez, and his stepmother, Maria Figueroa Martinez.

Army Cpl. Stephen M. McGowan

Cpl. McGowan

Stephen McGowan volunteered to go to Iraq so others with wives and children could stay behind. Instead of gifts for Christmas, he asked his family for toys to give to young Iraqi children.

"He was just that kind of guy," said his father, Fran DiDomenicis.

McGowan, a 26-year-old combat medic from Newark, Del., was killed in Ramadi, Iraq on March 4 when an explosive detonated near his patrol. He was based at Fort Carson.

McGowan joined the Army about three years ago after attending the University of Delaware and Wilmington College, studying criminal justice.

"He wanted to serve in the Army, partly I think, because he could not find a job with enough challenge and adrenaline in other careers he had considered," his father said.

McGowan and his squad carried toys and athletic equipment with them when they went on patrol. His description of Iraqi girls' enthusiastic reaction to Beanie Baby dolls led his mother to organize a drive for the toys. She collected so many that she had to send them in small lots because he did not have room to store them all.

Army Spc. Robert A. McNail

Robert McNail's last e-mail to his father included the names of all 22 soldiers in his platoon. He wanted his father's church to pray for them.

"I've made copies of that e-mail and given out about 150 of them. I read off every one of those names every single day asking for God's protection over them," Marvin McNail said.

Robert McNail, 30, of Meridian, Miss., was killed Feb. 11 in a vehicle accident in Iskandariyah, Iraq. The National Guardsman was based in Quitman, Miss.

McNail is survived by a fiancee and his 3-year-old son, Edward.

An outgoing young man, McNail was studying to be a nurse at Meridian Community College and worked in a civilian role at Naval Air Station Meridian before being deployed.

"Robert wanted to buy his 3-year-old son a swing set," his father said. "My wife saw a swing set in one of the sale papers the other day. She cut it out for us to show Robert. You do those things without thinking. We know he's not coming home."

Army Spc. Rocky D. Payne

Spc. Payne

He was a combat-tested soldier, hardened by the trials of battle. But Rocky Payne remained a kid at heart.

"He could be out with little children and giggle with them and have fun," said his father, Dennis Payne. "Children really liked him and looked up to him."

Rocky Payne, 26, of Howell, Utah, was killed March 16 in Baghdad when his Humvee was struck by a roadside bomb. He was based at Fort Lewis.

Payne was active in sports and Scouting and had dreams as a child of driving tanks.

After high school, he joined the Marines and served in Iraq. He left the service for a short time, but joined the Army after failing to find employment.

From Iraq, he wrote to members of his church that he had "never been as close to God in my entire life."

Army 1st Lt. Cecilia Motschenbacher said Payne was "at peace" with the possibility he might die in Iraq. She read from a letter left by Payne at a memorial in Iraq.

"If you are reading this," he began, "it means I gave my life for a better cause."

He is survived by his parents, Dennis and Marie.

Army Sgt. Robert Shane Pugh

Sgt. Pugh

After he was mortally wounded, combat medic Robert Shane Pugh directed a group of soldiers to save the life of another comrade wounded beside him.

"Though he was injured himself, another soldier lay wounded next to him," said Maj. Gen. Harold Cross, adjutant general for the Mississippi National Guard. "Shane directed a group of primarily engineers on what to do to stop that soldier's bleeding enough to where he could be stabilized."

Pugh, 25, of Meridian, Miss., did not survive his wounds. He died March 2 after an improvised explosive device detonated near his vehicle. He was stationed in McComb, Miss.

Pugh and his wife, Amanda, would have celebrated their first anniversary March 25. He was a licensed paramedic who worked for United Blood Services in Meridian.

"He was great guy," said Chris Coffin, who worked with Pugh. "He would just light up a room and he could lighten the spirit."