Iraq

In honor of America's fallen

The stories behind some of the service members who lost their lives in Iraq in May:

MARINE GUNNERY SGT. RONALD E. BAUM

To friends and fellow Marines, Baum seemed fearless. Facing the conflict in Iraq, he volunteered to go.

The 38-year-old from Hollidaysburg, Pa., was killed by mortar fire May 3 in Anbar province.

Baum took part in the evacuation of 172 people in Eritrea during a border dispute with Ethiopia in 1998. He was an instructor at the Naval Survival School in Rangeley, Maine.

Survivors include his wife, Cynthia, and three children, ages 3, 7 and 10.

Bean was a country boy who loved the country life.

"A rusty truck, a six-pack and country music is all he needed to be happy," said friend Jim Varney. "I called him a redneck and he called me a city boy."

Bean, 22, of Bridport, Vt., a member of the Vermont National Guard, was killed May 25 in an attack south of Baghdad.

He is survived by his girlfriend, Heather Annas, and a son he never got to see. He was born the day he landed in Kuwait.

Beaulieu's family had suffered a military loss a decade ago. His stepfather's brother, Thomas Field, was killed and his body was dragged through the streets of Mogadishu, Somalia, in 1993.

Beaulieu, 20, died in a mortar attack May 24 near Baghdad. He graduated from high school in Lisbon, Maine, in 2002 and got married shortly before leaving for Iraq.

In his yearbook, Beaulieu said he planned to go to college after the Army.

Survivors include his wife, Christina, a high school classmate.

Brinlee spent his summers working in carpentry with his father and had helped install the gym floor at the high school in Pryor, Okla., where he graduated in 2001.

A carpentry and masonry specialist, Brinlee, 21, died near Alasad on May 11 when a bomb exploded under his vehicle.

Brinlee loved playing football, Harley-Davidson motorcycles and working on cars, his pastor, Derek Melton, said.

Brown could be counted on to entertain a group, whether serving as disc jockey for dance parties or pulling stunts on an inner tube behind a boat.

Brown, 21, of Jamestown, N.D., died May 8 after he was wounded by an explosive device while on foot patrol near Samarra.

Brown was attending Jamestown College when his unit was called and left for the Middle East in February.

Buryj was too young to become a police officer in his hometown, so he joined a military police company.

The Army credited 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. The 21-year-old from Canton, Ohio, died May 5 after the truck crashed into his Humvee.

He and his wife, Amber Tichenor, 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.

Caradine was a family man who loved talking, his Aunt Mary's spaghetti and cars. He married his high school sweetheart and had four children.

Caradine, 33, of Memphis, Tenn., was killed May 2 when a grenade hit his convoy vehicle in Baghdad.

Caradine managed a restaurant for a while after graduating from high school in 1990, then joined the Army in 1996 to better provide for his family.

Survivors include his wife, Montessia, and children Ervin Smith, 14; Cavazzea, 11; Montessia, 10; and Trejan, 4.

A Vietnam veteran, Chaney went to Iraq hoping his experience there would lessen the bitterness from his Vietnam days, his wife said.

"When he came back (from Vietnam), he had trouble joining the VFW because they said he hadn't fought in a real war," Carol Chaney said.

She said Chaney joined VietNow, a veteran's organization, in 1986, and was motivated to join a Reserve unit. He worked as a technician at Chicago's Midway Airport.

Chaney, 59, of Schaumburg, Ill., got sick in Iraq and was sent to a military hospital in Germany. He died May 18 from complications after surgery to remove his appendix.

Dickerson loved old trucks and antique cars and always told jokes. He also had a deep spiritual side.

Dickerson, 33, of Eastman, Ga., was killed April 30 after an explosive hit his vehicle in Anbar province.

Jerrie Crowe, who worked with Dickerson at Telfair Regional Hospital, remembered conversations in which he would discuss his faith and marvel at how much Jesus accomplished in just 33 years on Earth.

Survivors include his wife, Tracy Graham, and daughter, Skylar.

Dossett had a zest for life, a confident smile and a love of sports, always eager to get back on the basketball court or golf course.

Dossett, 37, of Orlando was killed by hostile fire May 2 in Anbar province.

Dossett, who grew up in rural southeastern Iowa, enlisted in the Navy shortly after high school and served as a radioman and diver on nuclear submarines before leaving the Navy in 1992. Angela Dosset said her husband experimented with numerous civilian jobs, and considered rejoining before signing up for the Naval Reserves last fall.

"His resume is about 33 jobs long," she said. "I married a military man. He died a hero and wouldn't have it any other way."

Survivors include daughters Cassidee, 9 and Raimee, 5.

Dwelley and his brothers grew up in rural Florida, part of a close-knit family.

Dwelley, 31, of Apopka was killed April 30 after an explosive hit his vehicle in Anbar province.

Dwelley graduated from high school in Apopka in 1990 and served in the Navy from 1994 to 2000. He re-enlisted in the Naval Reserves so he could receive benefits when he began studying engineering in the fall at the University of Central Florida. He never got to take a class.

A part-time police officer and a volunteer firefighter, Garrison was planning on pursuing a law enforcement career.

He had joined the Illinois National Guard at age 17 while in high school. Garrison, 23, of Rapids City, Ill., died April 29 of noncombat injuries.

Steve Sallows, who served with Garrison as a volunteer firefighter, said his longtime friend had a playful sense of humor and often referred to his tour of duty as "vacation."

Garyantes was a career soldier who joined the Army in 1991 after his high school graduation.

Garyantes, 34, spent most of his childhood in Sussex County, Del., and attended high school in Fort Myers. He was killed by a sniper May 18 near Baghdad.

Garyantes was a dedicated family man and a fierce competitor who enjoyed playing basketball, his brother, Stephen, said.

Survivors include his wife and two sons.

Raised in Arizona, Holmes moved north to attend the University of North Dakota flight school. He joined the North Dakota National Guard and volunteered to serve in Iraq.

Holmes, 28, of East Grand Forks, Minn., died May 8, five days after a roadside bomb exploded while he was on vehicle patrol. Holmes worked for Valley Petroleum in Grand Forks when he was deployed.

Holmes graduated from high school in Peoria, Ariz., in 1994, and earned a bachelor's degree from Arizona State University in 2000.

Horton joined the Army to get money for college, but ended up finding his place there.

Horton, 24, of Erie, Pa., was killed May 21 by a roadside bomb near Iskandariyah.

Horton played the saxophone and drums in high school and played in bands where he was stationed, his uncle, Rich Wittenburg, said.

Survivors include his wife, Christie, whom he married shortly after joining the Army.

Kasecky was a devoted uncle to his 11 nieces and nephews, his family said.

In a phone call from Iraq, "He said, 'It's crazy over here"' his sister, Veronica Horton, said. "He said he was doing okay, and he joked with my kids. He said he loved us all and missed us all."

Kasecky, 20, of McKees Rocks, Pa., died May 16 after an explosion flipped his Humvee off a bridge near Fallujah.

Kondor was a popular student and president of his high school class, and fond of cars and motorcycles.

He also was determined to enlist in the Army and attend college later.

Kondor, 20, York, Pa., was killed April 29 when an improvised explosive detonated near his Humvee in Baqubah.

He and his fiancee, Lynne Notchey, had planned to marry when he returned from overseas.

Ledesma was a devoted family man who joined the Army to give his wife and children a better life.

Ledesma, 34, was killed May 15 in Baghdad by an improvised explosive device.

Ledesma, who loved to fish and play basketball with the couple's 11-year-old son, talked to his wife, Martha, and children shortly before he died. The couple also has a 14-year-old daughter.

When Marcus fell in love with singing and musical theater, he wanted to share his passion. He starred in a high school production of Fame, and recorded a song to be distributed in local independent record stores.

The 21-year-old from Long Beach, Calif., died May 3 when his vehicle flipped over into a canal in Balad.

He was an "energetic, talented kid ... a performer in every sense," said his high school drama teacher, Robert Browning.

Though he was a world away, Marshall remembered to send a dozen pink roses to his mom for Mother's Day. He even called to make sure they arrived.

Hours later, Pam Marshall learned her son had died.

The 19-year-old from Tulsa, Okla., was killed May 5 when his Humvee hit an improvised explosive device in Baghdad. He had been in Iraq for less than two months.

As a child in a community karate program, Marshall was determined to be the best. "He was a young man who didn't know how to quit," said his teacher, police Officer Marvin Blades.

Marshall joined the Army shortly after graduating from high school in 2002.

Miranda had been in the Arkansas National Guard for almost 20 years and served in the same unit as his brother.

Miranda, 44, of Little Rock, Ark., died from a grenade attack while on foot patrol May 20 in Baghdad. He specialized in explosives.

Stateside, Miranda worked for the Guard's antidrug program. He was the second-oldest of six siblings.

His mother, Bobby, said her son always tried to do the right thing. "He always did his job whether he wanted to do it or not," she said.

Murray, a high school coach, gave his players rides home from practice and made sure they were fed when they traveled. Murray, 28, also was an English and history teacher and the track coach at Ayden-Grifton High School in Ayden, N.C.

Murray, a military police reservist based in Ocala, was killed May 9 when his Humvee collided with a Bradley Fighting Vehicle.

He is survived by his wife of three years, Amanda.

Ridlen and his twin brother, Jason, always seemed to be together: at church, on the softball field, even in the recruiter's office when they enlisted.

The Ridlens, 23, who graduated from high school in Maroa, Ill., in 1998, were stationed with the same Illinois National Guard unit in Iraq when Jeremy was killed May 23 in a truck explosion near Fallujah. They were students at Illinois State University when their unit was activated last year.

Rubalcava was known as a joyful person - the kind of woman who could leave boot camp smiling.

Rubalcava, of El Paso, Texas, 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 about four years ago.

The eldest of five children, Salas loved to run and would sprint home before he could be picked up from school. Maybe it was an early form of basic training, since he always wanted to be a Marine.

Salas, 20, of San Bernardino, Calif., joined the Marines in 2001 after high school. He was killed May 20 in a vehicle accident in Anbar province.

Schrage was always making others laugh, and that humorous approach made him stronger, those who knew him said.

The 20-year-old from Indian Harbour Beach in Brevard County was found dead May 6 after disappearing while swimming across a river during a mission in Anbar province.

The Marine loved video games, punk rock and backyard wrestling, family members said.

"He was the comedian of the family. He was a ham. He was very well-respected and well-liked," said his mother, Nina.

Shaver was an avid outdoorsman who worked as a church youth leader.

A medic, Shaver, 26, of Maple Valley, Wash., died in a roadside bombing in Baghdad on May 12.

He enjoyed mountain biking, rock climbing, hiking and snowboarding, his family said. He had worked in Spokane as a fitness instructor and attended Green River Community College studying helicopter aviation.

Known as quiet and cooperative, Spakosky spent his senior year of high school working at the police department in the afternoons.

Spakosky, 25, a tank crewman from Browns Mill, N.J., died May 14, a day after he was hit with a sniper's bullet during fighting in Karbala.

Sprayberry made a point of calling home every Saturday morning to calm his worried parents.

The 24-year-old soldier from Tehachapi, Calif., died May 3 when his vehicle flipped over into a canal in Balad.

The soldier joined the Army after graduating from high school in 1997. He served two six-month tours in Kosovo in 1999 and 2000.

Relatives said he was passionate about working on cars, especially an El Camino he and his father loved. When not shooting, fishing or playing video games, the soldier was often found roughhousing with his three brothers, they said.

Survivors include his wife.

Like his grandfather, Tuazon learned to weld, and took a shipyard job after high school graduation. But after six months, he wanted something more and joined the Army.

Tuazon, 21, of Chesapeake, Va., was killed by an apparent sniper May 10 in Mosul. He was with a military police unit and had served in Afghanistan.

Vargas-Medina called his mother in Florida to say that her Mother's Day present was on its way to her.

Francia Lopez said he told her: "Mommy, on Mother's Day, please be home because I sent you a surprise."

Vargas-Medina, 32, of Chicago was killed May 1 in Iraq when his convoy was attacked.

Vargas-Medina's mother, Francia Lopez, said her son had been deployed to Kosovo, Korea and Kuwait during 12 years in the Army.

She came to the United States from Cali, Colombia, in 1981 and her son arrived three years later. She said Vargas-Medina joined the ROTC program at his Chicago high school before entering the military.

As a high schooler, Whitham stood out because of his spirit.

"He'd go up and down the hallways making this dinosaur noise," said Corey Anderson, basketball coach and athletic director at the soldier's Eugene, Ore., high school. "You knew Chase was nearby because you heard Tyrannosaurus rex blaring."

The 21-year-old from Harrisburg, Ore., died May 8 when he was electrocuted in a swimming pool in Mosul.

The friendly and sometimes mischievous young man played varsity basketball and golf during high school.

A college graduate who worked at a financial firm, Zabierek volunteered for the military after the 2001 terror attacks.

Stephen Zabierek said his son chose enlisted duty rather than being an officer. "His point was, how do you lead a grunt if you don't know what a grunt goes through every day?" said Zabierek, who served in the Navy in the 1970s.

Zabierek, 25, of Chelmsford, Mass., was killed May 21 when he was struck by a vehicle in Anbar province.

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