Army Sgt. Sean K. Cataudella, 28, Tucson, Ariz., vehicle accident
Sean K. Cataudella wrote to his parents from Iraq that he was spending part of his time chasing down Iraqi men who were shooting off machine guns in the streets – and the other part handing out candy to Iraqi children.

"Sean was such a compassionate guy. He felt for those kids," said his father, Sal Cataudella.

Cataudella, 28, of Tucson, Ariz., died Aug. 30 when a vehicle he was driving hit an embankment and rolled into a canal. He was stationed at Fort Hood and was serving as a scout in Iraq, going ahead of other troops to scope out enemy terrain.

"He did it because he loved his country and he was always an adventurous soul," his father said.

Cataudella joined the Army eight years ago after high school and also served in Bosnia, said his mother, Connie Cataudella. He didn't have a chance to see his youngest child, Kai, born while he was in Iraq. Other survivors include his wife, Naomi, children Alex, 7, and Damon, 3.

AUGUST 29:

Army Staff Sgt. Mark A. Lawton, 41, Hayden, Colo., action
Army reservist Mark A. Lawton had volunteered for duty in Iraq, even though he was scheduled for an Army school that would have kept him stateside.

"His desire was that he could share his combat experience with younger, less experienced troops and make sure that each of his boys came home in one piece," Lawton's family said in a statement.

Lawton, 41, of Hayden, Colo., was killed Aug. 29 in Iraq when his convoy was hit by a rocket-propelled grenade. He is survived by his wife, Sherri, and sons Dustin, 4, and Tanner, 1.

Lawton had served in both the Army and the Marines, and was a Gulf War veteran, said Capt. Curtis Carney of the U.S. Army Reserve in Denver. He joined the Reserves after leaving active duty.

Sherri Lawton was too shaken to speak at the funeral, so her father, Louis Holloway, read a letter she had written.

"Mark died on Aug. 29, 14 days before our fifth wedding anniversary," Holloway read. "That was the day my world stopped spinning. Mark was my best friend. Mark never went anywhere without kissing me goodbye and telling me he loved me."

AUGUST 27:

Army Sgt. Gregory A. Belanger, 24, Narragansett, R.I, explosion
Gregory A. Belanger had big blue eyes and a mischievous nature – but it was in the kitchen where he really sparkled.

"He was a whiz," said his mother, Cathy Belanger. "He was creative and could take whatever was in the refrigerator and pull out this gourmet dish from his soul and his head."

Belanger, 24, of Narragansett, R.I., died Aug. 27 when the convoy he was in was attacked in Iraq. He had enlisted in the Army Reserves and was called up to active duty shortly after the terrorist attacks on Sept. 11, 2001, said his father, Ed Belanger.

Belanger graduated from Johnson and Wales University in Providence, R.I., in 2001 with an associate degree in culinary arts before entering the Army as a cook. He was pursuing a bachelor's degree in food service management.

Army Spc. Rafael L. Navea, 34, Pittsburgh, Pa., explosion
Rafael L. Navea's family cherished him both for his big-picture perspective and for the way he was with those he loved.

"He wanted to have a better world for everybody," said his mother, Lucia Kirkpatrick of Weston, Fla.

"He was a very, very good man, a very good man and an excellent father. I cannot explain to you how wonderful he was as a husband," said his wife, Marina Ianni-Navea.

Navea, 34, of Pittsburgh died Aug. 27 in Iraq after his vehicle hit an explosive device. Stationed at Fort Sill, he was married and the father of sons ages 12, 5 and 3.

Navea made clear his love for his family, said Lt. Col. David Hill, battalion commander.

"Every time we spoke, that was our first topic of conversation. He was very proud of his wife and three sons and he always had a smile on his face when he talked about them."

Army Lt. Col. Anthony L. Sherman, 43, Pottstown, Pa., non-combat
Anthony L. Sherman had been in the military for more than 20 years. He was eligible for retirement before he was deployed to Kuwait City in February, but his wife said he probably would never have left the military.

"He loved it," Lisa Ann Sherman said. "He was very good at what he did."

Sherman, 43, of Pottstown, Pa., died Aug. 27 of a non-combat injury. He is also survived by his 8-year-old son, Anthony Grant.

Sherman, a member of the Pottstown Pacers Running Club, had been deployed with the 304th Civil Affairs Brigade, based in Philadelphia. Family friend Monica Weister said a part of Sherman's job was to make sure hospitals and other public buildings were being taken care of correctly.

AUGUST 26:

Army Spc. Darryl T. Dent, 21, Washington, D.C., explosion
Darryl Dent was a goal-oriented person who got things done – and had a good time doing them.

"Most of the time he was happy, and when he wasn't happy you wouldn't know it because he was always trying to make sure that everybody else was happy," said his sister, Lisa Justice of Roanoke Rapids, N.C. "He was trying to keep the peace all the time."

Dent, 21, a National Guard member based in Washington, D.C., was killed Aug. 26 by a makeshift explosive device while on convoy duty in Iraq.

Vernon Dent said his son joined the Guard right out of high school and wanted to go to medical school. He spoke to his son a few weeks ago, and the soldier said he was ready to come home.

"That's my baby boy. A good kid. It really hurt me," the father said.

AUGUST 25:

Army Spc. Ronald D. Allen Jr., 22, Mitchell, Ind., vehicle accident
Ronald D. Allen Jr. was a young man of exuberant tastes – maybe a little too exuberant at times. But that was far outweighed by the depth of his friendships.

"He played his music too loud," said Spc. Travis Rollins, "(but) to us he was a friend. I don't trust many people, but I knew I could count on Allen."

Allen, 22, of Mitchell, Ind., was killed Aug. 25 in a traffic accident in northern Iraq. He had jumped out of his Humvee to repair a flat tire, and was fatally injured when another vehicle spun out.

Family members say Allen was so eager to join the military he enlisted during his junior year of high school, and hoped to eventually become a state trooper.

"It doesn't surprise me that he was the first to get out of that truck and fix the tire," said Capt. Jessica Murnock, Allen's commander. "He was a quiet soldier but he was a hard worker."

Army Pfc. Pablo Manzano, 19, Heber, Calif., non-combat shooting
Manzano died as a result of a non-combat weapons discharge.

AUGUST 23:

Army Pfc. Vorn J. Mack, 19, Orangeburg, S.C., drowning
Vorn J. Mack was roughly 5-foot-3 and 115 pounds when Sgt. Andre Boler saw him for the first time at Fort Carson in March. "I thought he was someone's little brother, he was so young and little," Boler said.

But that made no difference: "He was a great soldier."

Mack would often cheer up soldiers with a cigarette or a story, Boler said.

The 19-year-old Mack drowned Aug. 23 near the Hadithah Dam in Iraq. The computer analyst was from Orangeburg, S.C.

Mack began basic training a month after graduation from high school in 2002, his aunt Brinder Hicks said. He was one of five children, and one sister is in the Army in Kuwait.

"He was a little man with a big heart," Hicks said.

Army Spc. Stephen M. Scott, 21, Lawton, Okla., non-combat shooting
Stephen M. Scott and his wife went to high school together in Lawton, Okla., and both joined the military. They had recently celebrated their first anniversary.

"We talked about what we would do if something ever happened to one of us," said Marie Scott, 19. "I decided I would become a nun. There's just no other guy who can compete with him. He's perfect."

The 21-year-old Scott died Aug. 23 near Al Fallujah, Iraq, of a gunshot wound in a non-combat incident. His death was under investigation.

Scott was a cook and stationed at Fort Carson.

AUGUST 21:

Army Pfc. Michael S. Adams, 20, Spartanburg, S.C., non-combat shooting
Although they were eight years apart, Michael and Matt Adams were always close. After the younger Michael went into the Army, and following the Sept. 11 attacks, his older brother decided to join, too.

"Michael loved it, and that's why I do," said the 28-year-old Matt Adams, who is stationed in Korea.

Michael Adams, 20, died Aug. 21 from smoke inhalation when a fire erupted in a building during a training exercise in Iraq. Adams, of Spartansburg, S.C., was stationed in Germany.

Adams joined the Army in 2001 after graduation from high school.

"Michael was an unassuming fellow with a wonderful big, big, smile," said Gloria Close, Adams' guidance counselor. "He gave his best at every thing he did."

Adams is also survived by his parents and a sister.

Navy Lt. Kylan A. Jones-Huffman, 31, Aptos, Calif., action

• Marine killed Thursday in Iraq was from Aptos

"When he started talking, he was speaking both, and he knew who to speak English to and who he should speak German to," his father, James Huffman said.

That natural ability with languages – he eventually learned French, Farsi and Arabic as well – combined with a voracious intellectual curiosity about the Middle East landed Jones-Huffman, 31, a spot with Naval Intelligence in Bahrain before the war in Iraq.

He was on a trip Aug. 21 to Hillah, Iraq, when his SUV came under fire and he was killed. Jones-Huffman was born in Santa Cruz, Calif., while his Army officer father was serving in Vietnam. He attended the Naval Academy, where he taught history courses for two years. Before his reserve unit was called up, he had planned to go back to get a doctorate in Turkish studies. Jones-Huffman and his wife, Heidi, lived in College Park, Md.

AUGUST 20:

Army Staff Sgt. Bobby C. Franklin, 38, Mineral Bluff, Ga., action
After Bobby Franklin was called up by the North Carolina National Guard, his colleagues at the Carlton Colwell Probation and Detention Center made sure he periodically received care packages filled with comforts from home. Franklin supervised inmates working on construction projects in the community. The 38-year-old Franklin of Murphy, N.C., was killed Aug. 20 when an improvised explosive device detonated near his vehicle in Iraq. Family members had tried to talk the longtime reservist into calling it quits last year.

"He was within a year of retirement," said Tim Nicholson, his brother-in-law. "That's why he went back this time." Franklin is survived by his wife, Brenda, and two children.

Army Spc. Kenneth W. Harris, Jr., 23, Charlotte, Tenn., vehicle accident
The last time Kenneth W. Harris Jr. talked to his twin brother, he seemed more concerned about folks back home than about himself.

"I can't even explain it. I just talked to him last weekend," Nathan Harris said. "He didn't even think about himself. He just wanted to know that everybody (at home) is OK."

The 23-year-old Harris was driving on a supply route when he was fatally injured in a traffic accident in Scania, Iraq, on Aug. 20. Another soldier was injured in the two-vehicle accident, which is under investigation.

Harris, of Charlotte, Tenn., was in the Army Reserves.

AUGUST 18:

Army Spc. Eric R. Hull, 23, Uniontown, Pa., action
When they were young, Eric R. Hull's sister loved to help their father in the garage. Hull liked to follow his mother, aunts and grandmother around in the kitchen. Sometimes he would surprise his family with fresh-baked bread, his mother said.

"He made the best Alfredo you'll ever taste," Deborah Hull said. Hull became a cook and went to Iraq with the Army Reserves. The 23-year-old from Uniontown, Pa., died Aug. 18 when his vehicle rode over a land mine while hauling supplies. He is survived by his wife, Missy, and two children, Mia Nicole, 2, and Dominic, 1.

"He always had a grin on his face, He was such a happy-go-lucky person. The only thing he wanted to do was be at home with his children and his wife," Deborah Hull said.

AUGUST 17:

Army Spc. Craig S. Ivory, 26, Port Matilda, Pa., non-combat related
It wasn't until he became a medic that Craig S. Ivory found his niche.

"Initially when he went into the Army, they made him a mechanic, which he hated," said his father, Patrick J. Ivory. "He re-enlisted to become a medic."

The 26-year-old from Port Matilda, Pa., died Aug. 17 after suffering a stroke while serving in Iraq. He was based in Vicenza, Italy.

Although he was not in a combat unit, Craig Ivory often was among the first medical responders when soldiers were injured in combat. He hoped to become a physician assistant after completing his service, his father said.

As a high school student, Craig Ivory lettered in football and track and field and played clarinet and bass clarinet in the school's concert and symphonic bands. He joined the Army in January 1997 and re-enlisted twice.

AUGUST 14:

Army Pfc. David Kirchhoff, 31, Anamosa, Iowa, heatstroke
To his two young sons, Pfc. David Kirchhoff was a father with a streak of playfulness that led to water balloon fights and wrestling matches.

"He was always goofy," according to his 12-year-old son Sean Lekin.

Kirchhoff, 31, suffered heat stroke while driving a truck in northern Iraq and died on Aug. 14 at a hospital in Germany. A truck driver, Kirchhoff, of Anamosa, Iowa, was a member of the Iowa Army National Guard.

"Sometimes he'd chase us all around the house and we'd always end up in the living room ... and do like a tag-team wrestling match," 11-year-old son David Kirchoff Jr., wrote in letters read during a service for his father.

Kirchhoff is also survived by his wife, Brooke, whom he married in April.

AUGUST 13:

Army Sgt. Steven W. White, 29, Lawton, Okla., action
Sgt. Steven W. White was already a nine-year Army veteran when he signed up for another six years, just before he headed to Iraq. Based at Fort Hood, he liked to visit with family in the east Texas town of Fruitvale.

"He would always want to come home and visit with classmates and see his family," said his wife, Laniece White. "He was a simple man. It didn't take much to please him."

White, 29, was killed Aug. 13 when his armored troop carrier hit an anti-tank mine just outside Tikrit, Iraq. He was a mechanic and had been in Iraq for about four months. He is also survived by four children, ages 16 months to 12 years.

AUGUST 12:

Army Pfc. Timothy R. Brown, Jr., 21, Conway, Pa., action
A prankster, Pfc. Timothy R. Brown Jr. decided to enlist in the Army on April 1, 2001, just to see his high school friends' reactions.

"He thought it'd be funny to do it an April Fools' Day. He was one of those jokesters," said a friend, Bryan Relevant.

The 19-year-old Brown, of Conway, Pa., was killed Aug. 12 by an explosive device while traveling in a convoy just north of Baghdad. Brown had signed up for two years of military service but was having second thoughts about leaving the military next year, Relevant said.

"He wanted to go to Iraq. When he got over there, he said he wanted to stay," he said.

Staff Sgt. Richard S. Eaton Jr., 37, Guilford, Conn., illness

• Soldier dies of embolism in Iraq, father says

"He said, `He's old enough to enlist himself at 18, but he really wants your approval,'" the elder Eaton said. "Then he explained that they could give him the best work that the military had to offer."

An Army counterintelligence analyst, Eaton Jr. spent 10 years in South Korea and had appointments in Honduras, Panama and El Salvador. Eaton Jr., 37, died in his sleep Aug. 12 in Iraq from what was believed to be fluid buildup in his lungs. He was in the Army Reserves and deployed to Iraq in March.

Army Pfc. Daniel R. Parker, 18, Lake Elsinore, Calif., vehicle accident

• Soldier from Lake Elsinore killed in Iraq vehicle crash

"He was proud to be in the Army and proud to be serving his country," said his father, Billy Parker.

The 18-year-old soldier died in the Iraqi city of Mosul on Aug. 12 after being thrown from his vehicle when the driver swerved to avoid hitting an Iraqi civilian vehicle. He was stationed at Fort Campbell. Parker, who is survived by three younger brothers and a younger sister, was active in church youth programs and coached and refereed hockey before he joined the Army after high school.

"He had strength of character," his father said. "He believed dedication and hard work equals success."

Army Sgt. Taft V. Williams, 29, New Orleans, action
When Sgt. Taft Williams' mother worried about his deployment to Iraq, he eased her fears with stories about returning safely home after serving in Kuwait and Bosnia.

"He felt as though it was his job," Sylvin Williams said. "As a mother, no, I didn't care for him to go."

Williams, 29, of New Orleans, was killed Aug. 12 when his convoy was attacked. A 10-year Army veteran, he was stationed at Fort Carson. Spc. Keenan Beacham, who served with Williams for six years, remembered playfully wrestling with him and talking about cars.

"His smile and laugh kept many of us going," Beacham said.

Williams' wife, Ethelmay, is also a soldier and was in Iraq. They had a son, 1-year-old Jason, and Williams also had a daughter.

AUGUST 10:

Army Staff Sgt. David Perry, 36, Bakersfield, Calif, bomb explosion

• Bakersfield man killed in explosion in Iraq

"He was consistent. He utilized his military ability to be very fair but firm with the inmates and very supportive with the staff," said Lt. Troy Ojeda said. A military policeman, Perry, 36, of Bakersfield, Calif., was killed in Baquaba, Iraq, on Aug. 10 when a package dropped off at police headquarters exploded. He had been in Iraq since January. Perry is survived by a wife and three children – ages 1, 4 and 6.

"He was a great person. He was goal-oriented. He wanted the best for the department, the best for the military and the best for his family," Ojeda said.

AUGUST 9:

Army Pfc. Levi B. Kinchen, 21, Tickfaw, La., non-combat
Barbara Kinchen said her son, Spc. Levi Kinchen, once tearfully acknowledged that he was afraid of combat. Nevertheless, he wanted to go to Iraq.

"He was ready to go. That's what he wanted to do. He knew the consequences," Barbara Kinchen said.

She said he insisted on being baptized before he left for the war. Levi Kinchen was found dead Aug. 9 on his cot in Baghdad. He joined the military after high school in Albany, La., and was stationed at Fort Polk. Kinchen loved the outdoors, his relatives said, and started hunting as a child, killing his first deer when he was 9.

"He had this magnetic personality," Louise O'Sullivan said of her nephew. "You just had to love Levi."

Army Sgt. Floyd G. Knighten Jr., 55, Olla, La., non-combat
Sgt. Floyd G. Knighten Jr. and his son served in Iraq in the same transportation company. Knighten repaired the trucks, his son, Spc. Floyd G. Knighten III, drove them. When their National Guard company headed to Iraq from Fort Polk, most of them flew but the senior Knighten traveled by ship with the equipment.

"He was really looking forward to that because he was in the Navy originally," said his niece, Carma Polk Hardy.

The 55-year-old Knighten, of Olla, La., died Aug. 9, most likely of heat-related causes, while traveling in a convoy in Iraq. He had been in the military since high school, first with the Navy and later joining the National Guard, eventually full-time.

AUGUST 8:

Army Pvt. Matthew Bush, 20, Wood River, Ill, unknown causes
Matthew D. Bush and his sister had a friendly rivalry, their father said, so when 19-year-old Deann joined the Army last year, Matthew soon followed.

"When Matthew saw his little sister graduate from basic training, that was it, he was hooked," said Randy Bush. "I remember him looking at me and telling me that he knew he was going to do this."

Matthew Bush, of East Alton, Ill., joined the Army in January and arrived in Iraq in mid-July from Fort Hood. The 20-year-old soldier died Aug. 8 in Kirkush, Iraq, of what is believed to be a heat-related illness.

His father said he hoped his son's death would make others soldiers more alert to the signs of illness from the heat. Bush is also survived by his mother.

"There's a young man who plays sports all his life," the senior Bush said. "He's used to having football gear. It just goes to show you it can happen to anybody."

Army Pfc. Brandon Ramsey, 21, Calumet City, Ill., vehicle accident
Pfc. Brandon Ramsey joined the Illinois National Guard for the education perks, not to fight a war. But the 21-year-old answered the call to duty without fear, his older brother said.

"As far as leaving, there was no way out of it," said Vaughn Ramsey. "(Brandon) was never one to back away from a challenge."

Brandon Ramsey died Aug. 8 in Tallil, Iraq, when the vehicle he was in rolled over while chasing a suspicious vehicle. After getting word of his death, Ramsey's large extended family gathered at his home in Calumet City, Ill., just like they often did for his calls from Iraq. His family said he was a talented artist who had become a part-time soldier to pay for a planned college education.

"He told us he was safe. He never gave us details," Vaughn Ramsey said. "He didn't want us to worry."

AUGUST 7:

Army Pfc. Duane E. Longstreth, 19, Tacoma, Wash., non-combat
Pfc. Duane E. Longstreth and his mother enlisted in the Army together, motivated by the Sept. 11 terror attacks. He became a combat engineer at Fort Bragg, she became a communications specialist in Germany.

"He was an unbelievably outstanding child," his mother, Jennifer West, said. "I think, like me, he joined because he was very aware of what was right and what was wrong."

The 19-year-old Longstreth died Aug. 7 of an apparent accidental gunshot wound while serving in Iraq.

"My sentiments are still the same," his mother said. "We're in Iraq to do a necessary job. We fully know that."

Longstreth, a native of Tacoma, Wash., was sent to Lincoln's Challenge Academy, a military-style program run by the Illinois National Guard for at-risk youth, and enlisted in the Army after graduation, five months before he turned 18. Other survivors include West's husband and two sisters.

AUGUST 6:

Army Spc. Zeferino E. Colunga, 20, Bellville, Texas, illness
While he was in the Middle East, Pfc. Zeferino E. Colunga called his family in Bellville, Texas, once a week and called his sister on her birthday in May and his mother on her birthday in June. So they grew worried when he failed to call his father on his birthday on Aug. 2. They soon learned he was gravely ill with acute leukemia. The 20-year-old Colunga, who was stationed at Fort Polk, died Aug. 6 at a hospital in Germany.

Nicknamed "Cowboy" because of a childhood habit of wearing a cowboy hat while riding a stick horse, Colunga joined the military after graduating from high school and planned to make it a career.

"He wanted everybody to be proud of him," said his sister, Teresa Colunga. "He had a lot of fun doing it."

Army Pvt. Kyle C. Gilbert, 20, Brattleboro, Vt., action
When high school senior Kyle Gilbert couldn't get into the military because of occasional headaches, he turned to Vermont's Sen. James Jeffords.

"I was used to people asking me to help them get out of the military, not the other way around," Jeffords said. Pvt. Gilbert, 20, was killed Aug. 6 when their unit was fired on from a passing vehicle in Baghdad.

Gilbert, who excelled in martial arts, grew up in Brattleboro, Vt., and was stationed at Fort Bragg. Regina Gilbert said her son wanted to be in the military like his father, Robert, and jump out of planes. She fondly recalled their telephone conversation after his first jump.

"There was excitement in his voice," she said. "It was just like I was talking to my husband."

Army Staff Sgt. Brian R. Hellerman, 35, Freeport, Minn., action
When Staff Sgt. Brian R. Hellermann joined the military after high school in Minnesota, it was his way of honoring his father, who died when Hellermann was about 15, a former classmate recalled.

"Throughout high school and even after, there were several times when he was talking about his dad and how he wanted his dad to be proud of him and the life he was living, and I'm pretty sure that was his whole reason for joining the military in the first place," said Scott Middendorf.

Hellermann, 35, was killed Aug. 6 in an ambush in Baghdad. He is survived by his wife, Michelle, and two children – son Travis, 14, and daughter Katelynn, 9. Stationed at Fort Bragg, Hellerman had been in the military for 17 years and planned to retire sometime after 20 years.

In a Feb. 13 e-mail to a friend, Hellermann wrote, "I'm still in because I want to provide the freedom to all those I love and care about."

Army Sgt. Leonard D. Simmons, 33, New Bern, N.C., non-combat related
Sgt. Leonard D. Simmons joined the Army in 1990 and was a Gulf War veteran. Simmons, 33, of New Bern, N.C., died of cardiac arrest Aug. 6 in Mosul, Iraq. He was stationed at Fort Campbell. He is survived by a wife and three stepchildren. Simmons graduated from West Craven High School and attended Craven Community College.

AUGUST 5:

Army Spc. Farao K. Letufuga, 20, Pago Pago, American Samoa, accident
Spc. Farao Kevin Letufuga left the Pacific island of American Samoa to join the Army on the eve of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. He was assigned to the 101st Airborne Division and was based at Fort Campbell when he was sent to Iraq. His mother last spoke with him on July 24.

"I told him to always remember God and always pray during his tour of duty," said Siniva Letufuga.

The 20-year-old Letufuga died Aug. 5 when he fell from the roof of a building while on guard duty in Mosul, Iraq. Letufuga was the first Samoan to die in Iraq.

Army Staff Sgt. David L. Loyd, 44, Jackson, Tenn., illness
Army Staff Sgt. David L. Loyd was called up for deployment to the Middle East in February but returned home for 10 days this spring because his home in Jackson, Tenn., was damaged by a tornado. When it came time for his return to Kuwait, he was eager to get back to serving his country, his wife, Pamela, said.

"He wouldn't have had it any other way," she said.

A member of the Tennessee National Guard, the 44-year-old Loyd died Aug. 5 of a heart attack in Kuwait. He is also survived by two sons. Family members say Loyd enjoyed working as a truck mechanic and spent his spare time riding his Harley Davidson and tinkering with cars.

"But most of all he loved serving his country," said his mother-in-law, Bonnie Flinn, of Terre Haute, Ind., where the Loyds both grew up.

AUGUST 1:

Army Spc. Justin W. Herbert, 20, Arlington, Wash, action
The cornfields of Silvana, Wash., had little to offer an ebullient 17-year-old like Justin W. Hebert, who had never even been on a plane before. He wanted to go to college, but his family didn't have the money, and he worried his grades would suffer if he tried to work his way through. So five days after graduating from high school, he shipped out with the Army. Hebert's parents signed the paperwork for him to enlist – he was too young to do it himself.

On Aug. 1, four days after his 20th birthday, Spc. Hebert was killed when a rocket-propelled grenade hit his vehicle during a night patrol near Kirkuk, Iraq. Hebert was stationed at Camp Ederle in Italy and met his girlfriend there, but the military was never his dream, said his 21-year-old sister, Jessica.

"He wanted to get out of this area and make something of himself. He was in Iraq just so he could get out and have an education," she said.