Marine Lance Cpl. Jeremiah C. Kinchen

Jeremiah Kinchen started off with G.I. Joes and moved on to video war games. When his first-grade teacher asked what he wanted to be, he already had a plan.

"Jeremiah wanted to be a soldier," said teacher Donna Roberts. "That wasn't all that common back then."

Kinchen, 22, of Salcha, Alaska, was killed April 4 in an explosion in Al Anbar province. The reservist was based in San Antonio, Texas.

Born in Louisiana, Kinchen moved to Alaska with his family, including parents James and Jeanie Kinchen. A friend from high school, William Westurland, said Kinchen "was pretty much a comedian half the time."

"If a spitball went across the room during a test, everyone would look to Jeremiah," he said. "He always wanted to see people on a happy note."

He joined the Marines shortly after he graduated from high school in 2001.

"We have strong Christian faith, and so did Jeremiah. He was ready," James Kinchen said.

Army Pvt. Joseph L. Knott

Joseph Knott wanted to become a sniper, but to his family he was a warm, compassionate man who liked to draw and write poetry.

"He liked to act tough on the outside," said his mother, Pam. "We used to make fun of him because he'd pose like he's all tough and inside he's a great big marshmallow."

Knott, 21, of Yuma, Ariz., was killed April 17 when enemy forces used small arms fire and a makeshift bomb to attack his convoy in Baghdad. He was based at Fort Carson.

Knott grew up playing with GI Joes and loved everything related to the military. He was in the varsity band in high school, and drew and wrote poems -- though he rarely shared them with others.

He enlisted in the Army about a year ago in part to emulate his older brother in the Navy, his mother said. He knew he would probably be sent to Iraq, but he joined anyway.

"He was nervous, but at the same time he was excited to be fighting for our country," she said. "He missed home, but he felt he was doing what he needed to be doing."

Pfc. LaWare

Army Pfc. Casey M. LaWare

As a child, Casey M. LaWare didn't like to hunt because he didn't want to shoot anything. But he was proud of his family's military service -- he slept with his grandfather's World War II wool blanket and was so proud of his uniform that he wore it on trips home against regulations.

"The Army was what he wanted to do. He was really proud to be there," said his mother, Kathy Grace.

LaWare, a 19-year-old from Redding, Calif., died April 9 at Landstuhl Regional Medical Center in Germany after he was severely burned in a guard tower fire in Mahmudiyah, Iraq, three days earlier. He was based at Fort Irwin.

Before he even graduated from high school, LaWare enlisted in the Army, where he was trained as a sharpshooter and shipped to Iraq. Grace said that her son liked being in the Army but wasn't eager to fight.

He was known as a quiet man who always helped with neighborhood chores.

"Casey had the values of a young man from decades past," his company commander said. "He was born 60 years too late."

Marine Cpl. Michael B. Lindemuth

Michael Lindemuth loved carpentry and hoped to make his hobby a career after he finished with the Marines.

"He loved his tools, had a quite a few of them. Those were his pride and joy," said Cpl. Cory Miller, who shared an apartment with Lindemuth.

Lindemuth, 27, of Petoskey, Mich., died April 13 after being wounded by mortar fire at Camp Hit in Anbar province. He was based in Akron, Ohio.

Lindemuth graduated from a Christian high school in 1996. He was on his second deployment to Iraq and hoped it would bring a promotion.

"He pretty much had an upbeat attitude about going back," Miller said.

Lindemuth was an outgoing and devout man who attended chapel services several times a week and loved sports, especially soccer and hunting. He was always willing to help those in need.

"He was a remarkable young man who always knew what he wanted," said Brenda Nash, a former neighbor.

Army Spc. Manuel Lopez III

Kira Lopez felt she was destined to be with her husband Manuel from the moment they met at age 3 in New York.

"We were even born in the same hospital," she said. "Now I've lost my very best friend. I will never find that again. Most people never get to experience what I got to with Manny, knowing that you were soul mates."

Manuel Lopez III, 20, of Cape Coral, Fla., was killed April 12 in Baghdad when his vehicle was struck by a rocket-propelled grenade. He was based at Fort Stewart.

Lopez joined the Army in March 2003, got married five months later and left for basic training the following month.

The couple's daughter Isabella was born prematurely on Dec. 14, giving Lopez a chance to meet her and make a videocassette of himself singing nursery rhymes, such as "Itsy Bitsy Spider," before he left for Iraq the following month.

Chris Rosessner, who met the couple when they moved to Florida, said he asked Lopez why he joined the Army.

"He told me he had to do it to support his wife and honor his country," Rosessner said. "I will never let Isabella forget about him."

Army Sgt. Angelo L. Lozada Jr.

The last call from Angelo Lozada was a happy one: He was going to be home in time to surprise his mom for Mother's Day.

"He told us he was coming home in two weeks. He wanted us to drive down and pick him up," his sister Angela said.

Lozada, 36, of Brooklyn, N.Y., was killed April 16 in combat in Ramadi, Iraq. He was based at Camp Hovey, Korea.

Growing up one of eight children, Lozada earned a reputation as a practical joker who always looked out for his younger siblings. He joined the reserves after graduating from high school, in part because he wanted to see the world.

"He wanted to travel and he got to. He was gung ho all the way," his brother Antonio said.

He had three children and a grandchild he never got the chance to meet. His son, Michael, said his father often brought him to the movies and coached his baseball team when he was little.

"He was a sweetheart," said his brother, the Rev. Augustin Rodriguez. "He cared very much for everyone -- he was just a good person."

Army Master Sgt. Robbie D. McNary

Robbie McNary was concerned about going to Iraq. He left funeral arrangements with a friend's wife so his own family wouldn't worry.

"He took care of everything," said his wife, Annette McNary. "He was always one step ahead, and he always took care of his family."

McNary, 42, of Lewistown, Mont., died March 31 in Hawijah, Iraq, while investigating an improvised explosives device. He was based in Missoula, Mont.

McNary loved to spend time with his wife and three kids, bowl, hunt and fish. Friends and family described him as trustworthy, eager to help others and quick with a laugh.

The former Marine joined the National Guard in 1988 and was in Iraq for his 24th anniversary with his wife. The same day Annette McNary learned of her husband's death, she received the bracelet he sent as an anniversary gift.

"Lord knows you had a million reasons to leave me and you never did," he wrote in a letter he left behind. "And for that, I am eternally grateful."

Army Sgt. John W. Miller

John W. Miller was an avid reader who spent hours in his high school library devouring science fiction books. He was rarely seen without a paperback -- or a set of headphones.

"John was a quiet person with a ready smile and a gentle heart," his family said in a statement. "He will be missed by all whose lives he had touched."

Miller, 21, of West Burlington, Iowa, was killed April 12 by small arms fire in Ramadi, Iraq. He was based in Burlington, Iowa.

Miller enlisted in the Guard after the September 11 terrorist attacks because he felt it was his place to help out. At Christmas, his aunt wanted to drive home her concern for his safety.

"I said 'come home alive' and he said, 'I will,"' Susan Swank said. "I said, 'If you don't, I'm going to shoot you myself."'

Miller is survived by his father. His mother died four years ago.

"But we know she would have been proud of him," the family said. "At least he will finally be with his mother."

Army 1st Sgt. Timmy J. Millsap

One day while shopping with her mother and brother, Sherry Henry began seeing quarters roll around on the store's floor. She ran to pick them up.

"I thought I was finding money all over the place," she recalled.

Her unexpected windfall had a source and a laugh: Her brother, Timmy J. Millsap, was hiding behind the clothes racks and playing a trick.

Millsap, 39, of Wichita, Kan., died April 25 when a bomb hit his convoy in Baghdad. He was assigned to Fort Riley.

"He was a small guy," standing about 5-foot-6, said his wife, Alyne. "But his personality was larger than life."

He graduated from high school in 1984 and attended Kansas Newman College for a semester before enlisting in the Army. He served in Germany, Colorado, Missouri, Hawaii, Bosnia and Kuwait.

In high school, he played baseball, track, football and wrestling -- but soccer was his favorite.

"He was probably, in some respects, one of my most productive players that I ever coached," said Klaus Kollmai, Millsap's former soccer coach. "Unless he gave 100 percent, he was just never satisfied."

He also is survived by his daughter, Deanna, 14.

Army Sgt. Kelly S. Morris

Kelly Morris was fearless -- the kind of guy who hunted alligator and went fishing with a rifle.

"When you met Kelly you knew you were meeting somebody who was going to affect your life in a positive way," said Lisa Lowery, who raised Morris from the age of 7 with her husband Bill.

Morris, 24, of Boise, Idaho, was killed March 30 in Baghdad by small-arms fire. He was based at Fort Stewart.

Morris was known for being adventurous and loyal. When he was breaking curfew as a teenager, he once jumped into the Boise River to hide from police. He turned himself in when he found out his friend had been caught.

"He had an air of invincibility," said Pastor Tom Warren. "And female members of his family all agreed he was a great hugger."

The 2000 high school graduate joined the Army in 2001 and married Jeralind Wilridge two years later. He is also survived by a stepson.

Two hours before Morris was killed, he told his staff sergeant that he wanted to be identified as "the good guy fighting the good fight."

Marine Lance Cpl. Marty G. Mortenson

The last time he was home, Marty Mortenson bought his nephews toys to make up for birthdays he'd missed. He volunteered to shovel snow off neighbors' driveways. He went to a women's prayer group to thank them for praying to keep him safe.

And he did all of it in a T-shirt, to feel the winter cold that he missed in the desert.

Mortenson, 22, of Flagstaff, Ariz., was killed April 20 by an explosive device in Ramadi. He was based at Camp Pendleton.

Mortenson grew up wanting to join the Marines, talking about it with high school friends and saying he was prepared to give his life for his country. He worked as a lifeguard in high school and joined the Marines in May 2002, about a year after graduating.

He was on his third tour in Iraq, and family members said he was ready to come home.

"During his time in the military, he began to change and the rough, tough stuff became less important," said his mother, Ruth.

He planned a hike the Grand Canyon with his mom when he got back, and talked about joining a SWAT team, switching to the National Guard, or going to college.

He is also survived by his father, Ken.

Army Spc. Jacob M. Pfister

Jacob Pfister joined the Army after the Sept. 11 attacks to give "some payback" to the terrorists. Even though he lost 25 percent of his hearing in a bombing in 2003, he decided to make a career out of the Army.

Still, he had his questions about what war had done to him.

"I'm afraid of going back home again," he told The Associated Press from Iraq in 2003. "I don't want to bring the mentality I have here back to my mother and little brothers."

Pfister, 27, of Buffalo, N.Y., was killed April 19 in Baghdad when a car bomb detonated near his patrol. He was based at Fort Stewart.

He is survived by his wife, who is expecting their first child in June.

Pfister quit Buffalo State College and joined the Army infantry after the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001.

His mother, Amy MacGregor, described her son as a serious man who loved his family.

"The way he put it to me is, 'Mom, who would you rather have over there defending you, me or some other joker?"' she said.

Army Spc. Aleina Ramirez Gonzalez

Aleina Ramirez Gonzalez grew up watching her father serve in the military -- from Vietnam to two tours in Iraq during the first Gulf War.

"She was a brave one because it was the third time she went to Iraq," said her father, William Ramirez.

Ramirez Gonzalez, 33, of Hormigueros, Puerto Rico, was killed April 15 in a mortar attack in Tikrit. She was based at Fort Stewart.

Ramirez Gonzalez, born in the southwestern Puerto Rico town of Guayanilla, spent 14 years in the National Guard and joined up for active duty less than a year ago.

Her father said she hoped to retire from military service after 20 years and become eligible for a pension.