Marine Sgt. Michael A. Marzano

When he first applied to the Marines, Michael A. Marzano was rejected because he had torn a knee ligament in a high school wrestling tournament. He went back to the recruiter several more times before he was accepted.

"He was really, really proud of being a Marine. He was really gung ho. It's what he wanted to do," said his father, Albert.

Marzano, 28, of Greenville, Pa., was killed May 7 by a vehicle-borne explosive in Hadithah, Iraq. He was based in Phoenix.

As a child, Marzano used to put on his father's old Marine uniforms and march around in them. He graduated from high school in 1995 and joined the Marines in 1999.

Marzano also won several amateur boxing titles, competing as a heavyweight and light heavyweight. But he was gentle outside the ring.

"Anyone who ever met him that I know of was just amazed at his politeness, his manner, such a great personality he had," his father said.

Marzano left active duty in 2003 and joined the reserves while attending Glendale Community College in Phoenix. He is also survived by his mother, Margy Bons.

Army Sgt. John E. McGee

John McGee was a joker with a smile that could light up a room.

"He was such an inspiring person," said his mother, Rebecca. "He walked around smiling. He was wonderful. I love him."

McGee, 36, of Columbus, Ga., was killed May 2 when his tanker truck was hit by a bomb blast near Diwaniyah, Iraq. He was based Camden, Ala.

Born and raised in a tiny town in the Mississippi Delta, McGee enlisted in the Army when he was 17 and served 8 years before joining the National Guard in 1996. He completed a program to become a lieutenant but had not yet been commissioned.

McGee also worked for a home health agency in Georgia. He had two sons, ages 11 and 2, and a 6-year-old daughter.

"He always laughed and smiled. He was the nicest guy you would want to meet in your life," said Undray Williams, a friend since high school.

"I'm thankful to God. He gave him to me for 36 years," his mother said. "He's taught me some things -- what love really means."

Army Pfc. Nicolas E. Messmer

Pfc. Messmer

Nicolas Messmer was engaged to his high school sweetheart, Mary Murphy, and hoped to be home in time for his birthday in July.

"He was the nicest, friendliest, happiest kid you could ever know. He wouldn't hurt a fly," said his brother, Joe. "He just went over there to defend his country."

Messmer, 20, of Franklin, Ohio, was killed May 8 during an attack in Khalidiyah, west of Baghdad. He was based at Camp Greaves, Korea.

Messmer, known as "Nick," was the middle child of five boys. He joined the Army in August 2003, the summer after he graduated from high school.

When he came home from Iraq, he seemed to have a bad feeling about returning.

"Nick could sense something was going to happen," said Eryn Sherman, a friend of one of Messmer's brothers. "When he was home in March, he told his brother he didn't want to go back to Iraq."

He is survived by his parents, Richard E. and Shirley Messmer.

Army Sgt. Carl J. Morgain

Carl J. Morgain was working as a communications specialist for the National Guard, a job that could have kept him out of harm's way. But when he learned his unit was going to Iraq, he decided to join the infantry to stay with his buddies.

"He felt it was very important to try and take care of the younger soldiers," said Lt. Col. Chris Cleaver. "That's what drove him."

Morgain, 40, of Butler, Pa., was killed May 22 when a car with taxi markings pulled up beside his vehicle and exploded in Kadasia. He was based in Butler.

An avid outdoorsman, Morgain grew up on the property where his family now lives.

He graduated from high school in 1982 and served in the Army from 1982-1986 before joining the National Guard in 2000. He also was employed by a gas company.

His home is adorned with military certificates and a cherished picture taken at Camp David with former President Reagan. His wife, Janice, is the leader of a charity that sends care packages to soldiers.

He is also survived by his 12-year-old daughter, Madison, and his 17-year-old stepson, Zachary Macurak.

Army Sgt. Benjamin C. Morton

Benjamin "Ben" C. Morton loved photography. Where other soldiers put up posters of Hollywood actresses and models, Morton had pictures of his wife, Elaina.

"Every moment was a Kodak moment for him," said Spc. Luis Cruz.

Morton, 24, of Wright, Kan., was killed May 22 in Mosul when gunmen shot him while he was searching a home where bombs were believed to be produced. He was based at Fort Lewis.

Morton graduated from high school in 1998 and joined the Army two years later.

In the Army, he was known as "Rat," a nickname he gained because he was a pack rat who threw nothing away. Most of the new soldiers didn't know his real name, so they just called him Sgt. Rat.

Morton was a huge Aerosmith fan, and Cruz noted that he once drove to Seattle to pick up a boxed CD set and spent hours playing the music and regaling his friends about the greatness of the band's music.

Army Sgt. John B. Ogburn

John B. Ogburn's resonant voice didn't seem to fit his 5-foot-8, 150-pound frame.

"He was the most genuine person I ever met," said Oregon Guard Capt. Dominic Kotz. "He was so gracious, almost to a fault.

"I could say anything, like 'The sky is blue,' and he would say, 'Excellent point, sir,"' Kotz said with a laugh. "But he wasn't a yes man."

Ogburn, 45, of Fruitland, Idaho, was killed May 22 in a vehicle accident in Kirkuk. He was based in Ontario, Ore.

Ogburn was a corrections officer at the Snake River Correctional Institution in Ontario. He was divorced, with no children, and his parents -- Jason and Goldie Ogburn -- died in December 2003 after being injured in a car accident.

"He was very well-liked," Kotz said. "He went out of his way to make sure people were at ease."

Marine Sgt. Christopher S. Perez

Christopher S. Perez began his military career as a recruiter, but he yearned for active duty.

"He told me, 'Mom, I didn't join the Marines to sit behind a desk,"' said his mother, Mary Oliver.

Perez, 30, of Hutchinson, Kan., requested assignment in Iraq, where he was killed May 23 while under attack by insurgent forces in Ramadi. He was based at Camp Lejeune.

Perez was a high school wrestler who loved lifting weights. He joined the Marines after high school graduation in 1992.

His father, John J. Perez, described him as a determined and strong-willed man who also had an outgoing personality.

"When he came into a room he was the life of the party," he said. "That's when everything started moving. He had good stories to tell."

Christopher Perez maintained daily contact with his mother on the Internet.

"He worked very hard and helped me raise his brothers and sister," Oliver said. "He was a daddy figure to them."

Perez is survived by a wife, Angela, and three children, Sean, Alyia and Austin.

Marine Lance Cpl. Lawrence R. Philippon

As a member of the Marine Corps Color Guard, Lawrence Philippon carried the flag at the funeral for President Reagan. But he wanted to be in Iraq, where he asked to serve on the front lines.

"He'd been begging them for a while. Even though he enjoyed the color guard, he really wanted to be in Iraq. That is where it is all happening," said his father, Ray.

Philippon, 22, of Hartford, Conn., was killed May 8 by small arms fire during combat near Al Qa'im, Iraq. He was based at Camp Lejeune.

In high school, Philippon played hockey and was nicknamed "Goat" by his coaches. His 6-foot-4 frame filled out to 220 pounds when he joined the military.

"He lived life at warp speed; he played fast and hard," his father said.

He is also survived by his mother, Leesa, and his fiancee, Olivia Lawrence.

"I never thought in any dream that I would first of all be marrying someone in the military, let alone sending someone off to war that just didn't come back," Lawrence said.

Marine Lance Cpl. Michael V. Postal

Michael Postal devoured books on military strategy as a boy and shed 50 pounds to be in tiptop shape before leaving for basic training.

There was a joke in the family about sneaking him to Canada to avoid the war. Michael was not amused, telling his grandmother: "Nan, that's not what I'm all about."

Postal, 21, of Glen Oaks, N.Y., was killed by enemy fire May 7 while serving in Al Anbar province. He was based at Camp Lejeune.

Postal joined the Marines after graduating from high school. He had worked part time at New York police headquarters as part of a police education program, and aspired to join the force.

"The whole world loved Michael," said his grandmother, Sandi Postal. "He was that kind of boy from the time he was a baby. He liked everybody."

He was idolized by his 6-year-old sister, Samantha.

"She loved him like you wouldn't believe," said their father, John Rajeh. "She used to pretend to speak to him on the phone when she was playing."

Postal is also survived by his stepmother. His mother died five years ago.

Marine Lance Cpl. Taylor B. Prazynski

As a high school student, Taylor Prazynski helped students with disabilities and planned to one day teach disabled students.

Prazynski, 20, of Fairfield, Ohio, died in a hospital from injuries he received in an explosion May 9. He was stationed at Camp Lejeune.

"My son is a hero, not just because he died, but because he was there in support of what he believed," said Prazynski's father, John.

During his senior year in high school in his hometown in southwest Ohio, Prazynski began helping students with disabilities. Friends said he joined the Marines in part to earn money for college so he could become a special-education teacher.

"He helped kids, but he also wanted to help society," said Gary Staggs, an aide in a class for disabled students. "He wanted to make a difference in Iraq."

Prazynski also played football for the high school team.

"When you're a coach and want to develop a team, you want kids like him," said head coach Scott Datillo.

John Prazynski said he last talked to his son Friday.

"He was his jovial self," he said. "He was loved by many. He will be missed by many. He was a gift from God."

Army Pfc. Wesley R. Riggs

Wesley Riggs was a "quiet presence," a pensive man with blue eyes that would put Paul Newman to shame.

"It made you wonder what he was up to," said family friend BJ McCoy.

Riggs, 19, of Baytown, Texas, was killed May 17 when a roadside bomb exploded in Tikrit. He was based at Fort Stewart.

Growing up on the Gulf Coast, Wesley Riggs was always fond of the water and frequently went rafting with friends. He loved working on cars, fishing, camping and riding dirt bikes.

He was a connoisseur of "Southern fun," said BJ's husband, Gary. Riggs and his cohorts would tear through the closest mud field in a big-wheeled truck.

"They would go muddin' or riding any kind of motorized anything that could go fast," McCoy said. "They could make a party out of just about any day."

He finished high school in 2003 after just three years. His decision to join the military was "an organized plan," said his stepmother, Vicki Riggs.

"He was a real Southerner," she said. "And he was raised by two Yankees."

Army Sgt. Stephen P. Saxton

Stephen Patrick Saxton, a husband and father of three, couldn't wait for leave from Iraq to see his newborn daughter, family members say.

"The last time I ever spoke to him, he was so excited about his baby girl," said his mother, Deborah.

Saxton, 24, of Temecula, Calif., was killed May 3 when a bomb hit his vehicle in Baghdad. He was based at Fort Carson.

Saxton was a student-athlete in high school who was equally drawn to the math team and the football team. He opted for the military in part to earn money for college.

Saxton's mother said her son knew the dangers and talked about them with his wife, Maegan, before enlisting in October 2002.

"He figured it was best for the family," she said.

In addition to his wife, Saxton is survived by his wife, daughters Katelynn, 4, and Sierra Rose, 3 weeks, and his son Joseph, 2.

Army Sgt. Kenneth J. Schall

Kenneth Schall was a top golfer in high school, but any sport was fair game. He played baseball and basketball, fished and recently took up snowboarding.

"It was very tough not to be touched by him in some way," said his mother, Terri, who said her son had a great sense of humor.

Schall, 22, of Peoria, Ariz., was killed May 22 after his vehicle was involved in an accident south of Baghdad. He was based at Fort Riley.

Schall enrolled at Glendale Community College and was studying to become a history teacher when the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks occurred in 2001. The event spurred him to join the Army.

He hoped to someday join the Phoenix Fire Department or a bomb squad.

Terri Schall said she last spoke to her son on Mother's Day.

"He sounded great -- tired -- but he said he was doing OK," she said. Schall also is survived by his father, John.