Iraq casualties from Washington state

Marine Lance Cpl. Cedric E. Bruns, 22, was a Prairie High School graduate who arrived in Kuwait in January for his first tour of duty overseas. "He was a very big-hearted kid. His passions in life were his friends, family and driving cars," said his father, Peter Bruns. When his reserve unit was sent to Kuwait, his family says, he grew up. In his letters home to Vancouver, he talked about going to college, buying a house and digging into the family history. "He realized that what he had always taken for granted was going to be different when he got back here," said his mother, Debbie Bruns. "Some of his friends here remember him for the fun times and the parties," said his father. But once in Kuwait, "It hit him that things have to be done. He kicked into high gear and took on responsibility. He was made captain of the guard and volunteered to be a squad leader." He last called home a few weeks before his death. "It was an early Mother's Day call because he didn't know if he would get another chance at a phone," his mother said. "We talked for 20 minutes. He knew what he was there for — to fight for somebody else's freedom." He died in Kuwait on May 9, 2003  — two days before Mother's Day — when the Humvee pickup he was driving collided with a truck.

Army Sgt. Travis Lee Burkhardt, 26, a member of the 170th Military Police Company from Fort Lewis, always knew his career goal: "He wanted to be a policeman," said his father, David Burkhardt of Edina, Mo. Burkhardt joined the Army in 1995 to pursue that interest and was stationed in Iraq as a member of an Army military police unit. He died June 6, 2003, in a vehicle accident near Baghdad. "Travis was a patriotic man with a great sense of duty and compassion, and he was a very good father to his children," David Burkhardt said. The father said Burkhardt also was a highly honored soldier who most recently received an Army award for saving a life in 2002. Burkhardt's brother, Sgt. Justin Burkhardt, also was serving in Iraq. Survivors include his wife, Rose, and children ages 3 and 1.

Army Spc. Justin W. Hebert died Aug. 1, 2003, four days after his 20th birthday, when a rocket-propelled grenade hit his vehicle during a night patrol near Kirkuk, Iraq. He 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. 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 had signed the paperwork for him to enlist — he was too young to do it himself.

Army Spc. Duane E. Longstreth, 19, of Tacoma, and his mother, Pfc. Jennifer West, both joined the Army after he graduated from Lincoln's Challenge Academy, a military-based school in Illinois for at-risk youth. West said they were motivated by the Sept. 11 attacks. "He was an unbelievably outstanding child," she said. "I think, like me, he joined because he was very aware of what was right and what was wrong." He became a combat engineer at Fort Bragg, N.C.; she became a communications specialist in Germany. Longstreth died Aug. 7, 2003, of an apparent accidental gunshot wound. "I just want to say he is my hero," his mother said at his funeral.

Army Pfc. Kerry D. Scott, 21, who had attended high school in Concrete, Skagit County, loved to climb and hike in the Cascades near his home. He liked to load his backpack and pockets with rocks when he hiked, to test his strength and endurance, and he hoped to one day hike the Pacific Crest Trail. "He called to tell me how strong he was after the last few weeks of Army training," said his father, David Scott. "He was packing some muscle." He was killed Oct. 6, 2003, in Iskandariyah, Iraq, when a homemade bomb struck his convoy. He was based at Fort Drum. Scott enlisted in the Army before he even finished high school. He was mostly home-schooled, attending classes part-time at the high school and then an alternative school. "He was a nontraditional, free-thinking kid," said school counselor Bill Krause. Family members said the young soldier hoped one day to be a radiologist. "He loved this valley and said he was never leaving," said his stepmother, Sherry Scott, of Mount Vernon. "We kind of teased him about it (when he joined the Army), but he said, 'Don't worry, I'm coming back.' "

When 2nd Lt. Benjamin J. Colgan was a boy, he marched with his parents in peace rallies. Joseph and Pat Colgan, whose activism dates from the Vietnam War, were surprised when their son enlisted in the Army but continued to support him, even as they opposed the war in Iraq. "That was hard, but you support your children," his mother said of his decision to enlist after graduation from high school in Des Moines in 1991. Colgan, 30, died Nov. 1, 2003, when a roadside bomb exploded as he responded to a rocket-propelled grenade attack in Baghdad. He was stationed in Giessen, Germany. Survivors include his wife, Jill, who was pregnant with their third child, and two young daughters. His mother says his death has only strengthened her position against the war. "People keep asking, 'Are the Iraqis better off?' " she said. "What we have to start asking is 'Are we better off?' and we're not. We're losing our children."

Army Spc. Robert T. Benson, 20, was born in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho, and attended schools in Spokane. Benson joined the Army in July 2001, shortly after graduating from high school. He married a high-school classmate, Aimee Hiatt, in December 2002. He enjoyed playing sports and spending time with his family. Benson died Nov. 4, 2003, of a non-hostile gunshot wound sustained at a checkpoint in Iraq. "He was a good man and an excellent soldier," said Sean Sorin, a fellow soldier who flew from Iraq for his funeral. He was based at Smith Barracks, Germany. "I wish Bobby could have had children," said his stepsister, Alexandra. "I wish he could have seen his brothers and sisters get married."

Army Spc. John R. Sullivan re-enlisted in the Army so his wife, Katrina, could afford to stay home with their new twins. He never got to meet them. They were two months old when Katrina got the news: Her 26-year-old husband was killed Nov. 15, 2003, when two Black Hawk helicopters crashed in Iraq. Sullivan saw his sons briefly on a Web camera and his wife also sent him a recording of their voices. "But it's not the same," she said. "It doesn't replace holding them." Sullivan, who was born in Countryside, Ill., and stationed at Fort Campbell, met his wife when he was stationed at Fort Lewis several years ago. She said she first fell in love with his smile. "He never complains; he has an awesome sense of humor," she said. "He was just the kind of man you were lucky to know." Sullivan is also survived by a 10-year-old stepdaughter, Jade Whitmer-Steele.

Army Capt. James Shull was an unusual young man: As a teenager, he was deemed trustworthy enough to drive a borrowed Porsche on prom night. "He was the hardest worker I've ever seen," said Ray Linford, a neighbor and the owner of the Porsche in question. "I used to tell him to take it easy, he was working so hard." Shull, 32, stationed at Fort Lewis, died in Baghdad Nov. 17, 2003, of a non-hostile gunshot wound. He graduated from Washington State University with a degree in criminal justice before enlisting in the Army in 1996. He served in Kuwait and Korea, and was most recently based at Fort Riley. He was a passionate WSU Cougar fan. His wife even sent a VCR to Iraq so that he could watch taped Cougar football games, along with home movies of his kids. "James was such a loving person," said his brother, Brad Shull. "He wanted to create good in this world and really cared about all people." Survivors include his wife, Alice, and children: Ashley, 7, Jacob, 5, and Alisa, 1.

Spc. Christopher J. Rivera Wesley joined the Army so he could see the world. When his grandmother died in Guam, he was a continent away, fighting in Iraq. The two were close, and Wesley had lived with a grandmother for a time when she became ill. "We thought he'd be able to come here and pay his respects to his grandmother," his uncle Joseph Wesley said from Guam. "He tried to come home, but it didn't work out. Now this happens and we're all taking it very hard." Wesley, 26, of Portland, Ore., died Dec. 8, 2003, when his Stryker combat vehicle tumbled off a dirt road in central Iraq and landed upside down in an irrigation canal. He was based at Fort Lewis. Wesley had graduated from high school in Beaverton, Ore., in 1995, and joined the Army, but left to live with his grandmother in Guam before re-enlisting.

Staff Sgt. Steven H. Bridges, 33, is remembered as a man who loved family and was proud to be part of the Army, which he joined right after graduating from high school in 1988. But his mother, Loretta Bridges, said that what really made her shy, reserved son come alive was acting on stage. He revealed a different side of himself when he performed. "He loved anything that would get him up there on the stage," she said. When Bridges married his wife, Debra, he also took on the role of father for her three children, and the couple soon added a fourth child, Sarrah, who is 6. He died Dec. 8, 2003, when his Stryker vehicle went into a canal in Iraq. A veteran of Operation Desert Storm who lived in Tracy, Calif., he was stationed at Fort Lewis.

Spc. Joseph M. Blickenstaff started struggling in high school, he turned to the Army to find discipline in his life. "He was missing a lot of school, and he needed somebody to put an arm around him," said his former teacher, Jim Phillips. "I think the military was the right choice for him. He was just one of those quiet boys who was looking for direction." Blickenstaff, 23, of Corvallis, Ore., died Dec. 8, 2003, with two fellow soldiers when their Stryker combat vehicle tumbled off a dirt road in central Iraq and landed upside down in an irrigation canal. He was based at Fort Lewis. Teachers remembered Blickenstaff as quiet and well liked, although he missed enough school days to land in a program for at-risk teens, Phillips said. Blickenstaff "was proud to protect our freedoms and died helping to create them for others he will never meet. He will always be our hero," his family said in a statement. He is survived by his wife.

Oregon National Guard Spc. Nathan Nakis loved building and earth-moving vehicles when he was a child. For one birthday, an uncle got him Army boots. When he went to Iraq, he was trained as a soldier but armed, as Oregon Gov. Ted Kulognoski put it, with the "tools of peace" — part of a unit that builds and repairs Iraqi homes, roads and water systems. Nakis, 19, of Sedro-Woolley, was killed Dec. 16, 2003, in Iraq when the truck he was driving rolled over. Nakis was an honor student and Boy Scout and enrolled in Oregon State University with plans to become a civil engineer. He had been in school about a month when his unit was activated. While overseas, he won over children with his soccer and slingshot skills, and kids would stand outside his tent, calling his name and asking him to come play, said Joe Mesteth, his company's family-support coordinator. "His heart was different than other people's hearts," family friend Mike Janicki said. "Nathan went over there to win the peace." Survivors include his parents, Arty and Elinor Nakis.

Charles Haight was the Army specialist's official name, but most people knew him as C.G., a guy who first played clarinet in his rural high school's band, then later joined the football team. Haight, 23, of Jacksonville, Ala., was killed in Iraq when his vehicle struck an explosive Dec. 26, 2003. He was based at Fort Lewis, Wash. He joined the Army after serving in the Marine Reserve, and reenlisted so he could later go to college on the G.I. Bill to become a nurse, his family said. "He wanted to help people," said his father, Don Haight. Survivors also include his wife, Michelle, and their 10-month-old son, Gabriel, born shortly before the mechanic was deployed overseas. "He loved kids, and for him to have a baby, then only be able to see it for six weeks is hard — that made it hard for him in Iraq," Don Haight said.

Curt E. Jordan Jr., 25, had the chance to visit with his family by satellite phone from Iraq two days after Christmas, 2003. "He got to see us," said his mother, Linda Taylor of Silverdale, Kitsap County. "I can close my eyes and I can see him." Two days later, Jordan died near Bayji, Iraq. He was involved in a minesweeping operation and fumes from a chemical he encountered apparently triggered a lethal reaction, perhaps from allergies, according to his stepmother, Tina Jordan. "He loved working on old cars, always Dodges," his stepmother said. "He was a really, really nice kid." "He was a good kid, a great father, a great son," said his father, Curt Jordan Sr., who lives in the Spokane area. Jordan is survived by his wife, Kim Lloyd Jordan, and their children, Felicia and Derreck. A brother, Army Spc. Adam Jordan, was stationed 10 miles away when Jordan was killed, the family said.

Pfc. Jesse D. Mizener, 24, returned home to California in November for the birth of his third child, his first son. He was scheduled to come home for good soon. "We stopped worrying; his time was so short," said his brother, Brian Mizener. Mizener, of Auburn, Calif., died Jan. 7 when a mortar round hit his a Baghdad-area logistics base. Based at Fort Lewis, Mizener was a construction equipment repairer. Mizener had been worried about mortar attacks. "You miss home the most when you get mortared," he told The Auburn Journal in November. "It gets scary, especially when you see it land and see how close it is. That's when you really think about home a lot." Survivors include his wife, Nicole, two daughters, ages 2 and 1, and a 2-month-old son.

Christopher Bunda loved to take on projects around the house. When he and his wife bought a home in Bremerton in March 2003, he got right to work. "He remodeled one of the floors, made it wood ... and did all the cement work in the backyard," said his wife, Michele Bunda. The 29-year-old soldier, a graduate of Olympic High School near Silverdale, went missing in the Tigris River near Mosul, Iraq, after the Iraqi police boat he was in capsized Jan. 25. His remains were recovered Feb. 10. Michele Bunda said it was difficult to make her children understand that their father was missing. Their 6-year-old daughter, Chrizchele, wanted an explanation, asking "Why is Poppa in the Army? Why can't he do something else like other children's fathers?" his wife recalled. A native of the Philippines, Bunda was stationed at Fort Lewis. He is also survived by his 3-year-old son, Christian James.

Sgt. Thomas D. Robbins loved the outdoors, and after camping and hiking in the woods, always returned home with trash he picked up on the trail. His mother, Charlene Robbins, said her son was a talented artist and had been in Iraq less than three months when he died. "He believed he was helping people and was working at learning the Iraqi language, just as he had learned Korean and studied the culture when he was stationed in Korea," she said. Robbins, 27, of Schenectady, N.Y., died with another soldier Feb. 9 when rocket-propelled grenades and mortar rounds blew up while being moved to a detonation site in Sinjar, Iraq. He was assigned to Fort Lewis. Robbins earned an associate degree in environmental sciences at Morrisville State College. In the Army, he resumed his college studies and was two credits short of a bachelor's degree. Robbins is survived by his wife, Gina, and their infant daughter, Marisa.

Michael M. Merila, 23, impressed his colleagues, who believed he was poised for a bright future in the Army. In the top 2 percent of his basic-training class, he distinguished himself in his studies to become a paralegal. Sgt. Maj. Jerry Gatton called Merila one of the best soldiers he'd ever encountered. "It's impossible for me to adequately relate what the loss of Sgt. Merila means to the Army," Gatton said. The Fort Lewis-based soldier from Sierra Vista, Ariz., was killed Feb. 16 in Talifar, Iraq, when his convoy was hit by an explosive. It was the day before his 24th birthday. Friends and family remembered Merila as a jokester who would drive around in the rain with the top down on his 1987 convertible. "He drew people to him," Gatton said. Merila was scheduled for a transfer, but chose instead to stay with his unit and ship out to Iraq. "It speaks volumes about this young man, about his character, his upbringing and his values," Lt. Gen. Edward Soriano said. Survivors include Merila's mother, a retired Army lieutenant colonel, and his father, a retired Army chief warrant officer.

1st Lt. Michael R. Adams, 24, sent his family an e-mail describing how much he loved his job and of the responsibility he felt toward the 15 soldiers he led. He remained with his platoon longer than he had to because he wanted to return with them to Fort Carson, Colo., on the unit's last boat home. "I always tell people that I have the best job in the world, and I can't believe they pay me for this!" he wrote. Adams, of Seattle died March 16 riding in a tank west of Baghdad. A passing vehicle collided with the tank, causing a .50-caliber machine gun on a swivel to whip around, striking Adams. "He died doing what he wanted to do," Adams' father, Don, said. An Eagle Scout before his 16th birthday, Adams graduated from high school in 1998 with a near-perfect grade-point average. That earned him nominations to the U.S. Naval Academy and to West Point. Pam Schilz, who had been Adams' guidance counselor, said she is not surprised that the returned members of his platoon in Iraq gave up their family time — with some even paying their own way to fly to West Point — to carry his casket. "I totally understand why. He would always watch out for the people around him," she said.

Spc. Philip Rogers, 23, sketched every chance he got, especially the Japanese animation character Robotech, who fights an alien race in a popular TV series. According to his family, Rogers loved to draw — not fight — and he joined the Army with the hope of getting a college education. Rogers, of Gresham, Ore., was killed April 4 when a roadside bomb blew up the five-ton food delivery truck he was driving to Mosul. He worked first as a cook at Fort Lewis and was then transferred to the base's Stryker Brigade. "He didn't plan to stay in the Army. He wanted to become an artist or a cook. He just wanted to start off somewhere," said Mark Rogers, his brother. Rogers graduated from high school in Greshman in 1999 and joined the Army right away. He re-enlisted three years later. First, he wanted to pay off his car, and then it would be time for college. Rex Rogers remembers the first drawing his son made at age 4. "He drew the house across the street from us in exact detail — the big picture window. He even drew the painting that was hanging on their wall," said Rogers. "He could have made it. Now it's all over."

Spc. Tyanna S. Avery-Felder joined the Army and she created a new family for herself in the military. "She was a daughter to me," said Sgt. Thomas Smith Jr., who was stationed with Avery-Felder at Fort Lewis. "She even called me dad." Avery-Felder, 22, of Bridgeport, Conn., died April 7 of injuries sustained on April 4 when her vehicle was hit with an explosive. In high school, Avery-Felder played basketball and sang in the choir. She later took classes at Southern Connecticut State University toward a career in early childhood education, but left school after completing her freshman year. She joined the Army soon afterward, in 2000. Friends remembered Avery-Felder as a strong, caring woman. "She told me, 'Never, even let them see you cry or they'll walk all over you,'" said Odessa Blackwell, a high-school friend. "She was so tough." Survivors also include her parents and her husband.

Spc. Frank K. Rivers Jr. craved his grandmother's cooking and was looking forward to returning home just before Mother's Day. "He asked me to have his favorite meal ready for him, and I told him he could have whatever he wanted," said Betty Rivers, who raised her grandson. His favorite meal was fried chicken and peas and rice, she said. The 23-year-old from Woodbridge, Va., died April 14 after his heart failed during physical training in Mosul, Iraq. He was assigned to Fort Lewis. Betty Rivers described her grandson as sweet and brave. He enlisted right after graduating from high school in 1999, following his father into the military. "It was his great ambition to go into the service, and he was very excited about it," she said.

Petty Officer 3rd Class Nathan B. Bruckenthal, a transplanted New Yorker, took Sept. 11 personally. From his remote Coast Guard post on Neah Bay, he flew home three times to help bury the dead and feed rescuers. On his final trip, he stripped off his Coast Guard T-shirt and left it on the rubble. Then Bruckenthal cut short his tour of duty at Neah Bay to get more intense law-enforcement training. He wanted to fulfill what his commanding officer, Chief Warrant Officer Mike Tumulty, called Bruckenthal's mission to be a "patriot, warrior and hero." On April 24, Bruckenthal, 24, died along with two Navy servicemen when suicide bombers attacked a pumping station they were guarding in the Persian Gulf. He was the first Coast Guard member to die in combat since the Vietnam War. Bruckenthal and his wife also were both active in the Makah community, though neither was a tribal member. When they first met, she was working in a Makah special-education program through her college. He proposed on scenic Bowman Beach near the reservation. They married at the Space Needle on St. Patrick's Day 2002. Nate and Patti Bruckenthal most recently lived near the Coast Guard Air Station in Opa-Locka, Fla., but the couple was considering returning to the waters and mountains of the Pacific Northwest that he loved, his sister said. After his death, the Makah responded with a memorial ceremony that incorporated all of Bruckenthal's roles. Tribal chairman Ben Johnson presented gifts to Coast Guard members to deliver to Bruckenthal's wife, who was three months pregnant: a hand-painted oar and a traditional wool blanket symbolic of the tribe's protecting embrace.

Jacob R. Herring, the football team captain in high school, was popular with teachers and classmates alike. "He was the ultimate leader," said Tim Tramp, who coached Herring on the varsity football team. "He always wanted to do what was best for the team." Spc. Herring, 21, of Kirkland, was killed April 28 when his squad was attacked by a hand grenade west of Mosul, Iraq. He was a member of the Fort Lewis-based Stryker Brigade. Herring enlisted in the Army with two friends and teammates in September 2001, four days before the terrorist attacks. He was deployed to Iraq in November. Survivors include his mother, Susan Sutter of Kirkland and his father, Robert Herring of Miami.

Trevor A. Win'E was an avid hockey player who also liked soccer. In school, he was known for wanting to help others. "He was everybody's big brother here," said Nancy Hamilton, his senior English teacher. "In class, he didn't like to talk about himself; it was always, 'What can I do to help?'" Spc. Win'E, 22, of Orange, Calif., was killed May 1 when his armored military vehicle hit an explosive device near Tikrit. He was based at Fort Lewis. Hamilton said he sometimes stayed after class to talk about his concerns for his brother's safety in the Air Force, but Win'E idolized his brother and followed him into the military. Mary Lallande, a longtime family friend and Win'E's high school guidance counselor, said she talked to Win'E shortly before he left for Iraq. "I asked him if he was scared," she said. "He said he did have fears, but more importantly, he had a job that he'd been training so long to do. He was eager to go do it."

Jesse R. Buryj was too young to become a police officer in his hometown, so he joined a military police company instead. The Army credited Pfc. Buryj with saving at least three lives when he fired more than 400 rounds at a dump truck trying to crash a checkpoint near Karbala in Iraq. The 21-year-old from Canton, Ohio, died May 5 after the dump truck crashed into his Humvee. He was stationed at Fort Lewis. "He saved three people," said Buryj's wife and high-school sweetheart, Amber Tichenor. "One of them has a 2-year-old daughter, and another one has a baby on the way." The couple wed in October and had only a few months together before he shipped out to Iraq. He had hoped it would be a step toward becoming a police officer. "That's all he wanted — to be a Canton police officer," said his mother, Peggy Buryj, adding that to her, "My son was a police officer — always."

Spc. Chase R. Whitham stood out in high school because of his spirit. "He'd go up and down the hallways making this dinosaur noise," said Corey Anderson, head basketball coach and athletic director at Whitham's high school in Eugene, Ore. "You knew Chase was nearby because you heard Tyrannosaurus rex blaring." The 21-year-old died May 8 when he was electrocuted in a swimming pool in Mosul, Iraq. He was assigned to Fort Lewis. The friendly and sometimes mischievous young man played varsity basketball and golf during high school. "Chase had an incredible spirit," said Cheryl Brelsford, his principal. "He was just one of those kids who as a principal you knew was always up to something." Survivors include Whitham's parents, Laurie and Mark.

Spc. Isela Rubalcava was known as a joyful person — the kind of woman who could leave boot camp smiling. "She achieved everything she set her heart on," said grandmother Margarita Rubalcava. Rubalcava, of El Paso, Texas, and stationed at Fort Lewis, was killed May 8 in Mosul when a mortar round hit near her. She would have been 26 three days later. She attended the University of Texas at El Paso and Sul Ross State University before joining the Army. "They took a piece of my heart," Ramon Rubalcava said of his daughter. "I only hope this war ends soon, because I don't wish this pain on anyone else." Her cousin Hector Barragan said "she's always been a happy person, always smiling. When she came back from boot camp, she was cheerful and told us about how great it was." Rubalcava was happy again when Barragan last heard from her in an e-mail from Iraq — this time "because she was going to eventually come home." Survivors include her mother.

Spc. Jeffrey R. Shaver of Maple Valley was an avid outdoorsman who worked as a church youth leader. "The way we should remember Jeff is as a person who loved the Lord and loved others. Everything I know of Jeff is that he was a servant; he loved serving others and helping," said Craig Schafer, who worked with Shaver at the Life Center Four Square Church in Spokane. Shaver, 26, died in a roadside bombing in Baghdad on May 12. He was a medic with the Washington National Guard, based in Spokane. He enjoyed mountain biking, rock climbing, hiking and snowboarding, his family said. He had worked in Spokane as a fitness instructor and later attended Green River Community College studying helicopter aviation. Survivors include his parents.

Marine Pfc. Cody Calavan, 19, of Lake Stevens was sent to Iraq in February and expected to return home in September, often was close to the line of fire, family members said. Still, the teen, who loved off-roading in 4x4 trucks, seemed to have a way of avoiding injury. "He told us that one time 13 of them went out and only three returned," said Calavan's 23-year-old sister Kalee Calavan Craig. She said her brother returned to camp with a bullet stuck in his pocket. "We believed he'd come back from this, too," she said. He was based at Camp Pendleton, Calif.

Army Spc. Michael Wiesemann, 20, of North Judson, Ind., and based at Fort Lewis, died May 29 of non-combat injuries at Quyarrah Air Base, Iraq.

Army Pvt. Bradli Coleman, 19, of Ford City, Pa., and based at Fort Lewis, died May 30 in Baghdad of injuries suffered when mortar rounds hit his living quarters.

Marine Lance Cpl. Dustin Sides, 22 of Yakima and based at Camp Pendleton, Calif., drove a large military wrecker and died in an ambush May 31 during an overnight return from a mission in Fallujah. In a phone call to his father, John Sides, just two hours before his death, he had described the operation as successful. "When he set his mind to do something, he did it 120 percent. He was just very determined and he cared a lot about the underdog," said his mother, Wendy Billings of Yakima County.

Marvin Best enlisted in the Marines in 1989, right after he graduated from Prosser High School in Benton County. It was always a joyous occasion when he came back home. Best couldn't stand being indoors, his family said. At home, Best enjoyed hunting and fishing. With the Marines, he traveled to Japan and Korea and served aboard several ships. When he came home, his family would fire up the barbecue and, eventually, Best and several of his closest friends would wind up at the Rattlesnake Mountain Brewing Co. in Richland, where Best would tell stories about traveling overseas and military life. Staff Sgt. Best, a 33-year-old machine gunner and sniper based in Twentynine Palms, Calif., died June 20 during combat in the Al Anbar province of Iraq. He is survived by his wife, Shelly, and his parents and sister.

Jeremiah Schmunk was a high school wrestler who placed sixth in the state when he was a senior in 2002. "He beat the best when he was at his best," said Rick Bowers, Schmunk's coach. "That was an inspirational moment for all the kids on the team." Schmunk, 21, of Richland, was killed July 8 after an attack on his patrol near Baghdad. He was a member of the Washington National Guard. Bowers described Schmunk as "really friendly, sociable and a good friend of my youngest daughter. He would do just about anything for anyone. He's going to be missed." On the day he died, Schmunk called his mother, Shirley Schmunk to let her know he was OK and say that he loved her, said his uncle, John Daly. Before his deployment late last year, Schmunk was living in Kennewick and attended Columbia Basin College.

Demetrius Lamont Rice trained to be a chef and studied computer graphics, but he joined the Army when he failed to find a job in either of those fields. Valorie Rice said her son believed in his country, and "he just wanted to do something with his life." Rice, 24, was killed July 14 in a vehicle rollover near Talifar in northern Iraq. He was stationed at Fort Lewis. While her son was in Iraq, Valorie Rice would use three-way calling to link up Rice with other relatives, and they would "try to keep his spirits up," she said. She remembers the last time she spoke with her son. "He sounded down. I think he was tired of being over there," she said. "He was ready to come home, like a lot of them. But he knew why he was there, why this needed to be done."

Jesse J. Martinez called his mother from Iraq and told her he had been approved for a two-week leave, but asked her to keep it a secret so he could surprise the family. He also asked for a care package, and the next day his mother mailed him powdered Gatorade, cookies and pictures of his month-old nephew. Martinez, 20, of Tracy, Calif., died July 14 — two days after his call — when the vehicle he was traveling in swerved to miss an oncoming truck and rolled over. He was stationed at Fort Lewis. Jan Martinez said her son was outgoing around people he knew well and was an avid fan of the Oakland A's and Raiders. He was considering becoming a police officer or going into elementary education, and she said he was happier than she had seen him in a while when he enlisted in May 2003. "I was excited because he was so excited for this," Jan Martinez said. "I hadn't seen him like this for a long time. It was something he really wanted to do."

Marine Capt. Gregory A. Ratzlaff, 36, of Olympia and based in San Diego, Calif., died Aug. 3 in a non-combat-related incident at Forward Operating Base Duke in Iraq.

Donald McCune wanted to be a fighter. He named his pets after characters in the fighter-pilot movie "Top Gun," and when the time came, he asked to transfer to a unit that would go to Iraq. "He felt this was something he needed to do, and I'm very proud of what he wanted to do," said his mother, Darcy Lewis. McCune, 20, of Ypsilanti, Mich., died Aug. 5 in Landstuhl, Germany, from injuries he sustained the day before in Balad, Iraq. He was stationed in Moses Lake. After bouncing through high schools in Indiana and Michigan, McCune had enlisted in the Army by the time he earned his high school equivalency degree in 2002. He enjoyed hunting, fishing, rooting for the Detroit Red Wings, country music and cars. "He was always driving something different," said his grandfather, Rick Monier. "He would play with something and then sell or trade it." McCune is also survived by his father, Donald McCune, and stepfather, Army Sgt. Benjamin Lewis.

Yadir G. Reynoso, a one-time high school wrestler whose body was lean and heavily tattooed, was anything but dangerous. He would take money out of his pocket to pay the grocery bills of a stranger at the checkout counter. Reynoso, 27, of Wapato, Yakima County, died Aug. 5 in a firefight with Iraqi insurgents in Najaf. He was based at Camp Pendleton, Calif. "He was the kind of person who loved challenges," said his sister Patty. "My brother always knew the strength he needed to do anything. He knew he would serve honorably no matter what he did." Reynoso was an eight-year veteran of the Marine Corps, which he joined shortly after graduating from high school in 1997. At school, he was active in sports, especially the wrestling team. "When he came home after he graduated from boot camp, my mother remembers when he looked in a mirror at himself in his uniform and said, 'I used to be a boy; now I can confirm I've become a man,'" Patty Reynoso said. Among his survivors was a 4-year-old son.

Caleb J. Powers was helped by Child Help USA as a young boy and wanted to return the favor. Powers, who at 7 was cared for by the children's group until farming relatives in Washington state adopted him five years later, was a virtual poster boy for the nonprofit organization that helps abandoned children. He dreamed of one day giving back by helping other children, like the ones who swarmed over him when he visited disadvantaged children, said Jay Cooper, a charity worker. "He was our poster Marine, just an amazing young man, a fine, inspirational young man who loved life," Cooper said. Powers, 21, of Mansfield, Douglas County, died Aug. 17 in enemy action in Anbar province. He was based at Camp Pendleton, Calif. Born in Pacific City, Ore., Powers went to live with his aunt and uncle in Mansfield and fell in love with the farming community, enjoying tinkering with vehicles and working on the family's wheat farm. Among the survivors are his parents and the aunt and uncle, Jackie and Mike Tupling.

Jason Cook of Okanogan made sure his fellow Marines in Iraq knew his wife's name. They couldn't miss it. He named their armored vehicle after her. Cook met his wife, Yovana, at a party while he was assigned to guard the U.S. Embassy in Bogota, Colombia. They were married for two years, but spent only eight months of that time together because of his military assignments. So Cook found an ingenious way to honor her. As the officer in charge of his squad's armored vehicle, Cook named it after her, relatives said. "The relationship we had was almost perfect," Yovana said. Cook, 25, died Aug. 21 during fighting in Anbar province. He was based at Camp Pendleton, Calif. Cook joined the Marines in October 1997, a few months after graduating from high school. He was in his second deployment to Iraq. "There just wasn't anything Jason wouldn't do for you. He was right there for you," said his stepfather, Del Miles.