FERNANDO PADILLA-RAMIREZ

Age: 26

Rank: Sergeant, Marine Wing Support Squadron-371, Marine Wing Support Group-37

Hometown: San Luis, Ariz.

Fernando Padilla-Ramirez was a month away from fulfilling his dream of becoming a police officer when he shipped out to Iraq.

He achieved his goal posthumously when San Luis Police Chief John Miranda handed Padilla's wife and mother each a plaque bearing his picture, badge and shield number -- 129 -- officially making him a member of the force.

''I just wanted to fulfill his dream,'' Miranda said. ''I thought doing this would show the family how much we loved and honored him.''

Padilla-Ramirez disappeared March 28 during convoy operations near Al Nasiriyah, Iraq. His remains were identified April 10.

Padilla-Ramirez was born in San Luis Rio Colorado, Mexico, and became a U.S. citizen two years ago. He enlisted as a teenager.

His second son was born just five days before he left for Iraq. He also has a 5-year-old.

Pvt. Shawn D. Pahnke

25

1st Battalion, 37th Armored Regiment, 1st Armored Division

Shelbyville, Indiana

Killed when he was shot in the back while sitting in a military vehicle during a patrol in Baghdad on June 16, 2003

Spc. Gabriel T. Palacios

22

588th Engineer Battalion (Heavy), 4th Infantry Division

Lynn, Massachusetts

Killed in a mortar attack on a forward operating base near Baqubah, Iraq, on January 21, 2004

Capt. Eric T. Paliwoda

28

4th Engineer Battalion, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division

Texas

Killed when his command post was hit by a mortar attack in Balad, Iraq, on January 2, 2004

1st Lt. Joshua M. Palmer

25

1st Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, 1st Marine Expeditionary Force

Banning, California

Died due to injuries received from hostile fire in Al Anbar Province, Iraq, on April 8, 2004

Staff Sgt. Dale A. Panchot

26

1st Battalion, 8th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division

Northome, Minnesota

Killed by enemy fire while on patrol south of Balad, Iraq, on November 17, 2003

Pfc. Daniel R. Parker

18

2nd Battalion, 44th Air Defense Artillery Regiment, 101st Airborne Division

Lake Elsinore, California

Fatally injured when he thrown from his vehicle after the driver swerved to avoid an oncoming vehicle in another lane in Mosul, Iraq on August 12, 2003

Pfc. James D. Parker

20

588th Engineer Battalion (Heavy), 4th Infantry Division

Bryan, Texas

Killed in a mortar attack on a forward operating base near Baqubah, Iraq, on January 21, 2004

Pfc. Kristian E. Parker

23

205th Engineer Battalion, Army National Guard

Slidell, Louisiana

Died of non-combat related injuries at Camp As Sayliyah, Qatar, on September 29, 2003

Sgt. David B. Parson

30

1st Battalion, 37th Armored Regiment, 1st Armored Division

Kannapolis, North Carolina

Shot and killed while conducting a raid on a house on July 6, 2003, in Baghdad, Iraq

Sgt. Norman Patterson

28

22nd (Cheshire) Regiment

Staffordshire, England

Killed in a traffic accident in Baghdad, Iraq, on January 1, 2004

WILLIAM L. PAYNE

Age: 46

Rank: Sergeant, 2nd Battalion, 70th Armor Regiment

Hometown: Otsego, Michigan

William Payne was ready to retire from the Army, but the Iraq war changed his plans.

''He felt that he should go over there with his men that he worked with so long,'' said his stepmother, Beverly Payne. ''He would have had 25 years [of service] in September.''

Payne was killed May 16 in Haswah, Iraq, when ordance exploded as he was examining it. Beverly Payne said an Army liaison officer told her he died when a fellow soldier, thinking he was handling dud munitions, threw them against a tree, where they detonated.

''What happened was so stupid,'' she said.

Payne wrestled and played football for Otsego High School. He enlisted shortly after graduating in 1975. He met his wife, Karin, in Germany. They had two sons, John, 21, and Nicholas, 14.

After serving one tour in the Army, he left for about two years before deciding to become a career soldier.

MICHAEL F. PEDERSEN

Age: 26

Rank: Sergeant,2nd Battalion, 3rd Aviation Regiment

Hometown: Flint, Mich.

Michael Pedersen was a whiz at taking things apart and reassembling them, from radios as a child to helicopters in the Army.

''A commander called mama and said he was proud how fast Michael had advanced,'' said his sister, Jennifer. ''He said he could break the helicopter down from top to bottom and put it back together.''

Pedersen was killed April 2 when his UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter crashed during combat near Karbala, Iraq.

Pedersen attended Northern High School in Flint, Mich., where he met his wife, Chantal. Pedersen joined the Army shortly after graduating in 1996.

Pedersen enjoyed auto mechanics as a young man.

''He always helped my cars out,'' his sister recalled. ''Call my brother, your car would be all right.''

Michael and Chantal Pedersen were legally separated 1"" years ago. They had a daughter, Destiny, 7.

Lance Cpl. Preben Pedersen

34

Jutland Dragoon Regiment

Nordjylland, Denmark

Killed when he was shot during a gun battle with armed Iraqis during a patrol in Madinah, Iraq, on August 16, 2003

Spc. Brian H. Penisten

28

Air Defense Artillery Battery, 1st Squadron, 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment

Fort Wayne, Indiana

Killed when his CH-47 Chinook helicopter crashed in Fallujah, Iraq, on November 2, 2003

Sgt. Ross A. Pennanen

36

2nd Battalion, 5th Field Artillery Regiment, 212th Field Artillery Brigade

Oklahoma

Pennanen was aboard a CH-47 Chinook helicopter when it crashed near Fallujah, Iraq, on November 2, 2003

Staff Sgt. Hector R. Perez

40

1st Battalion, 327th Infantry Regiment, 1st Brigade, 101st Airborne Division

Corpus Christi, Texas

Killed when the military convoy he was in came under fire north of Hawd, Iraq on July 24, 2003

Sgt. Joel Perez

25

2nd Battalion, 5th Field Artillery Regiment

Rio Grande, Puerto Rico

Killed when his CH-47 Chinook helicopter crashed in Fallujah, Iraq, on November 2, 2003

Cmdr. Gonzalo Perez Garcia

42

Civil Guard, Spanish Army

Toledo, Spain

Perez Garcia was seriously wounded in a shootout near Hamsa, Iraq on January 22, 2004 , and fell into a coma. He died February 4 in a Madrid hospital.

JOSE A. PEREZ III

Age: 22

Rank: Specialist, 6th Battalion, 27th Field Artillery Regiment

Hometown: San Diego, Texas

Jose ''Amancio'' Perez's military photograph hangs on the wall of his grandparents' home beneath that of his uncle, a soldier who died in the Persian Gulf region in 1992.

Their family now mourns them both.

Perez was killed May 28 when his convoy was ambushed in Taji, Iraq.

''He was a very good hero, and he died for our freedom,'' said Perez's 9-year-old brother, Joshua. ''I will never forget him.''

Perez enlisted three years ago, joining a family military tradition that includes his late uncle, Pvt. 1st Class Baldemar ''Billy'' Benavides Jr. Perez's grandfather, Jose A. Perez , was a Navy veteran and Pearl Harbor survivor.

Perez's aunt, Lora Silva, said military service strengthened her nephew's bonds with his family.

''Once he enlisted, he became very family-oriented,'' she said. ''He always made time to play Nintendo with his little brother.''

Pfc. Wilfredo Perez Jr.

24

1st Battalion, 67th Armor Regiment, 4th Infantry Division

Norwalk, Connecticut

Killed when a grenade was thrown from a window of the Iraqi civilian hospital he was guarding in Baghdad, Iraq, on July 26, 2003

Staff Sgt. David S. Perry

36

649th Military Police Company, Army National Guard

Bakersfield, California

Killed when a suspicious package that he was inspecting exploded on August 10, 2003, in Baquabah, Iraq

Spc. Alyssa R. Peterson

27

311th Military Intelligence Battalion, 101st Airborne Division

Flagstaff, Arizona

Died of wounds received from a non-combat weapons discharge on September 15, 2003, in Telafar, Iraq

Alyssa R. Peterson was a woman of faith who had a gift for learning foreign languages.

"She was a quiet, very intelligent woman who asked a lot of good questions about life and religion," said Terry Leisek, who taught Peterson at a theological training center for members of the Mormon faith.

Peterson, 27, of Flagstaff, Ariz., died Sept. 15 from a non-combat weapons discharge in Iraq. She was stationed at Fort Campbell before being deployed to conduct interrogations and translate enemy documents.

Peterson graduated from Northern Arizona University in May 2001 with a degree in psychology. She was fluent in Dutch and easily mastered Arabic at the military's Defense Language Institute after enlisting in July 2001.

During her time at NAU, Peterson also attended the Flagstaff Institute of Religion, the theological training center.

"She was a very, very good lady who will be missed by a large number of friends," Leisek said.

BRETT J. PETRIKEN

Age: 30

Rank: Staff Sergeant, 501st Military Police Company

Hometown: Flint, Michigan

Brett Petriken, a former high school football player, was such a Detroit Lions fan that he'd have game tapes sent to him overseas.

''He loved to watch them, win or lose,'' said his stepmother, Kathy Petriken.

Petriken was killed May 26 when a large truck crossed a road median and struck his vehicle in As Samawah, Iraq.

Petriken played football for Flint Southwestern High School. He graduated in 1990. A former teacher, Jeff Blanchard, said Petriken was a clean cut, polite, student.

''He wasn't the one you remembered because you never had to ask him to be quiet [or] to sit down,'' Blanchard said.

Petriken and his wife, Christina, had a daughter, 8.

Before leaving for Iraq, Petriken told his mother not to worry.

'He said, `I have a bulletproof vest and a bulletproof Humvee. Mom, I'm trained for this,' '' Deborah Petriken said.

Sgt. 2nd Class Anton Petrov

26

Bulgarian light infantry battalion

Ruse, Bulgaria

Killed when a car bomb exploded in the Bulgarian Army camp in Karbala, Iraq, on December 27, 2003

Cpl. Pietro Petrucci

22

6th Transportation Regiment

Naples, Italy

Killed when a bomb exploded at Italian military police headquarters in Nasiriya, Iraq, on November 12, 2003

Pfc. Jerrick M. Petty

25

3rd Battalion, 502nd Infantry Regiment, 1st Brigade, 101st Airborne Division

Idaho Falls, Idaho

Killed when he was attacked while guarding a gas station in Mosul, Iraq, on December 10, 2003

Pfc. Chance R. Phelps

19

3rd Battalion, 11th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, 1st Marine Expeditionary Force

Clifton, Colorado

Killed by hostile fire in Al Anbar Province, Iraq, on April 9, 2004

Sgt. 1st Class Gladimir Philippe

37

3rd Battalion, 18th Field Artillery Regiment

Linden, New Jersey

Discovered missing from his post approximately 24 miles (40 km) north of Baghdad on June 25, 2003. A search party found his remains west of Taji, Iraq, on June 28.

Sgt. Ivory L. Phipps

44

1544th Transportation Company, Illinois Army National Guard

Chicago, Illinois

Died of injuries sustained from a mortar attack in Baghdad, Iraq, on March 17, 2004

Capt. Pierre E. Piche

29

626th Forward Support Battalion, 101st Airborne Division

Starksboro, Vermont

Killed when two 101st Airborne Division UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters collided in mid-air over Mosul, Iraq, on November 15, 2003

LORI ANN PIESTEWA

Age: 23

Rank: Private first class

Unit: 507th Maintenance Company

Hometown: Tuba City, Ariz.

Lori Piestewa, one of just a handful of American Indian women in the U.S. military, was a source of pride for her Hopi tribal community.

Piestewa became the first American woman soldier killed in Iraq.

Wayland Piestewa described his sister as a tough kid who ''keeps her head about her and her wits about her.'' She joined the military about two years ago. She had two children, a boy, 4, and a girl, 3.

Hopi Tribal Chairman Wayne Taylor said that since confirmation of Piestewa's death arrived, Mother Nature provided a sign of the soldier's spirit.

''We had a gentle snowfall,'' he said. ''In the Hopi belief, the deceased come back home and they visit the family through the moisture, and this is what happened just a while ago. So I think we were very blessed today.''

Spc. James H. Pirtle

18

2nd Battalion, 8th Infantry Regiment, 4th Infantry Division

La Mesa, New Mexico

Killed when a rocket-propelled grenade hit his Bradley Fighting Vehicle in Assadah, Iraq, on October 4, 2003

Cpl. Ian Plank

31

Royal Marines

Poole, England

Killed by hostile fire during a coalition operation in Iraq late on October 31, 2003

FREDERICK E. POKORNEY JR.

Age: 31

Rank: 2nd lieutenant, 1st Battalion, 10th Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Expeditionary Brigade

Hometown: Tonopah, Nev.

Wade Lieske described his foster son, Frederick Pokorney Jr., as a dedicated Marine, husband and father of a 2-year-old.

''He lived for his family, for his wife, Shelly, and his daughter, Taylor,'' Lieske said.

Pokorney was one of seven Marines killed in combat near Nassiriyah, Iraq, on March 23.

The 6-foot-5 Pokorney twice took the Tonopah High basketball team to the Nevada state finals. He also played football.

''He was someone you'd be proud to call your son,'' said Janet Dwyer, a secretary at Tonopah High.

Lieske expressed doubts about the U.S. mission in Iraq that claimed his son's life.

''I'm not convinced Fred had to die in this war,'' he told KOLO-TV in Reno, Nev.

Pokorney lived with his family in Jacksonville, N.C.

''Anyone that was blessed by knowing Fred has suffered an indescribable loss,'' said his brother-in-law, Rick Schulgen.

Staff Sgt. Andrew R. Pokorny

30

3rd Air Defense Artillery, 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment

Naperville, Illinois

Killed when his M113 armored personnel carrier threw a track, causing it to roll over, on June 13, in Al Asad, Iraq

Spc. Justin W. Pollard

21

2nd Squadron, 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment

Foothill Ranch, California

Died as a result of injuries sustained in a non-combat related incident in Baghdad, Iraq, on December 30, 2003

Spc. Larry E. Polley Jr.

20

2nd Battalion, 20th Field Artillery Regiment, 4th Infantry Division

Center, Texas

Killed when his Bradley Fighting Vehicle was hit by an improvised explosive device and overturned while conducting a surveillance sweep for IED's north of Baghdad, Iraq, on January 17, 2004

Sgt. Darrin K. Potter

24

223rd Military Police Company, Army National Guard

Louisville, Kentucky

Killed when his vehicle overturned and entered a canal while responding to a mortar attack on Abu Ghraib Prison in Baghdad, Iraq on September 29, 2003

Spc. James E. Powell

26

1st Battalion, 22nd Infantry Regiment, 1st Brigade, 4th Infantry Division

Radcliff, Kentucky

Killed when his M2/A2 Bradley Fighting Vehicle struck an anti-tank mine northwest of Baji, Iraq, on October 12, 2003

KELLEY S. PREWITT

Age: 24

Rank: Private, Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 2nd Battalion, 69th Armor Regiment

Hometown: Birmingham, Ala.

Kelley Prewitt matured from a class cut-up to a military man who worked with his church's youth ministry.

''He was a young kid without direction who found himself when he got older,'' said one of his former teachers, Jeff Estes.

Prewitt was killed April 6 when his convoy was ambushed by Iraqi soldiers.

Prewitt attended Erwin High School, then graduated from Cathedral of the Cross Christian School in 1997. He enlisted in May 2002.

His former teachers remember him as a quick-witted class clown.

''He just kept you laughing,'' Estes said.

Prewitt liked playing soccer, going to Ridgecrest Baptist Church, and riding his personal watercraft on Lake Logan Martin, where his father owned a mobile home.

''He loved the lake and he loved the outdoors,'' Steve Prewitt said of his son.

Cpl. Dewi Pritchard

35

116 Provost Company, Royal Military Police, Territorial Army

Bridgend, England

Killed during an attack by gunmen on a British military ambulance in Basra, Iraq on August 23, 2003

Gunner Duncan Geoffrey Pritchard

22

16 Squadron, Royal Air Force Regiment

Suffolk, England

Died on May 8, 2003, in a British hospital from injuries sustained in a traffic accident while on duty in Iraq

Sgt. Jaror C. Puello- Coronado

36

310th Military Police Battalion, 800th Military Police Brigade

Pocono Summit, Pennsylvania

Died from injuries received when he was hit by a dump truck while manning a traffic point at Camp Edson, Iraq on July 13, 2003

Sgt. Luis Puga Gandara

29

Spanish Army

Spain

Died after he was accidentally shot at the Spanish military base in Diwaniyah, Iraq, on October 26, 2003

Staff Sgt. Michael B. Quinn

37

2nd Squadron, 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment

Tampa, Florida

Killed on guard duty at a checkpoint by unknown assailants who fired on him from a vehicle on May 27, 2003, in Fallujah, Iraq

Head Marshall Alfio Ragazzi

39

Italian Military Police

Messina, Italy

Killed when a bomb exploded at Italian military police headquarters in Nasiriya, Iraq, on November 12, 2003

Staff Sgt. Richard P. Ramey

27

703rd Ordnance Company, attached to the 82nd Airborne Division

Canton, Ohio

Killed when an improvised explosive device detonated in Mahmudiyah, Iraq, on February 8, 2004

Spc. Eric U. Ramirez

31

670th Military Police Company, California Army National Guard

San Diego, California

Killed when he was attacked by small-arms fire, a rocket-propelled grenade and an improvised explosive device in Abu Gharib on the western edge of Baghdad, Iraq, on February 12, 2004

Pfc. William C. Ramirez

19

Troop E, 2nd Squadron, 2nd Armored Cavalry Regiment

Portland, Oregon

Killed when a roadside bomb exploded while he was on a mounted patrol in western Baghdad, Iraq, on February 11, 2004

Pfc. Christopher Ramos

26

1st Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, 1st Marine Expeditionary Force

Albuquerque, New Mexico

Killed by hostile fire in Al Anbar Province, Iraq, on April 5, 2004

Spc. Tamarra J. Ramos

24

3rd Armor Medical Company, Medical Troop Regimental Support Squadron, 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment

Quakertown, Pennsylvania

Died of non-combat related injuries at Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington, D.C., on October 1, 2003

Pfc. Brandon Ramsey

21

933rd Military Police Company, Army National Guard

Calumet City, Illinois

Killed when his vehicle rolled over during a chase of a suspicious vehicle while on a convoy escort mission in Tallil, Iraq on August 8, 2003

Sgt. Edmond L. Randle

26

2nd Battalion, 20th Field Artillery Regiment, 4th Infantry Division

Miami, Florida

Killed when his Bradley Fighting Vehicle was hit by an improvised explosive device and overturned while conducting a surveillance sweep for IED's north of Baghdad, Iraq, on January 17, 2004

Pfc. Cleston C. Raney

20

1st Engineer Battalion, 1st Brigade, 1st Infantry Division

Rupert, Idaho

Killed along with four other soldiers when an improvised explosive device hit their armored personnel carrier in Habbaniyah, Iraq, on March 31, 2004

Spc. Rel A. Ravago IV

21

1st Battalion, 502nd Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade, 101st Airborne Division

Glendale, California

Killed when the vehicle he was in was attacked in Mosul, Iraq, on November 23, 2003

Staff Sgt. Aaron T. Reese

31

135th Military Police Company, Army National Guard

Reynoldsburg, Ohio

Died when he fell overboard while on patrol on the Tigris River south of Baghdad, Iraq, on December 10, 2003

RANDALL S. REHN

Age: 36

Rank: Sergeant 1st Class, C Battery, 3rd Battalion, 13th Field Artillery Regiment

Shortly before leaving home to serve in the war, Randy Rehn made a videotape for his 2-week-

old daughter, Megan. He wanted her to hear his voice every night while he was away.

It may become her dearest memory of him.

Rehn was killed in action April 3 when a bomb, possibly launched by coalition forces, landed on the rocket launcher he was manning.

''Megan will know all about him,'' his mother, JoAnn Rehn, said. ''We won't let her forget.''

Rehn, a 16-year Army veteran, his wife, Raelynn, and Megan, now 7 months old, lived near Fort Sill but hailed from Lawton, Okla.

Joe Rehn described his brother as a prankster who loved to golf and hunt.

''He was very outgoing, a joker and always looking for somebody to play a practical joke on,'' Joe Rehn said.

BRENDON CURTIS REISS

CAMP LEJEUNE, CALIF.

Age: 23

Rank: Sergeant, 1st Battalion, 2nd Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Expeditionary Brigade

Hometown: Casper, Wyo.

Brendon Reiss had some worries about being sent to Iraq, but felt duty-bound to go wherever the Marines sent him.

''He said he has some anxiety about this and didn't want to leave his wife,'' said his mother, Angela Reiss.

Reiss was killed in combat March 23 near An Nasiriyah, Iraq. His remains were identified April 11.

Reiss grew up in Hanna and Casper, Wyo.

Angela Reiss said she was at peace with her son's death.

''He died early [in the war], so he didn't see too much horror,'' she said. Angela Reiss said she was at peace with her son's death. ''He's not going to have to experience the trauma of the war.''

Reiss' wife, Tensley Reiss, lives with her family near Chattanooga, Tenn.

Staff Sgt. George S. Rentschler

31

1st Battalion, 35th Armored Regiment, 1st Armored Division

Louisville, Kentucky

Killed when his military vehicle was hit with a rocket-propelled grenade in Baghdad, Iraq, on April 7, 2004

Spc. Ramon Reyes Torres

29

432nd Transportation Company, U.S. Army Reserve

Caguas, Puerto Rico

Killed when he sought cover from a passing truck that contained an explosive device in Baghdad, Iraq, on July 16, 2003

SEAN C. REYNOLDS

Age: 25

Rank: Sergeant, 74th Long-Range Surveillance Detachment 173rd Airborne Brigade

Hometown: East Lansing, Mich.

Sean Reynolds' mother felt her children should think for themselves, so she signed papers allowing him to enlist in the Army at age 17, even though she was adamantly anti-war.

''I only really prayed for one thing in my life, that God would never take any of my kids,'' said his mother, Maureen Street.

Reynolds was killed May 3 near Kirkuk, Iraq, when he fell off a ladder, causing his weapon to discharge.

As a child, Reynolds would bring home stray cats and dogs, and at age 10 refused to eat meat because it came from animals.

He enlisted after graduating from East Lansing High School in 1995. He later qualified for the elite Rangers combat force. He served twice in Afghanistan.

''He wanted to fight for people's justice, no matter who they were,'' said Reynolds' brother, Kevin.

Sgt. Ariel Rico

25

3rd Battalion, 320th Field Artillery Regiment, 101st Airborne Division

El Paso, Texas

Killed in a mortar attack on 101st Airborne Division headquarters in Mosul, Iraq, on November 28, 2003

DIEGO FERNANDO RINCON

Age: 19

Rank: Private 1st Class

Unit: 2-7th Infantry, 3rd Infantry Division

Hometown: Conyers, Ga.

Diego Rincon loved his Mustang.

''It was spotless, with a great sound system, the whole nine yards,'' said Jerry Smith, an English and drama teacher at Salem High School in Conyers, Ga.

Rincon was killed March 29 when a suicide bomber detonated his vehicle at an Army checkpoint near Najaf, Iraq.

Rincon, one of four children, immigrated with his family from Colombia. He was active in cheerleading, gymnastics and drama at Salem, graduating in 2000.

Classmate Carrie Rose met Rincon while performing in the drama department's spring musical, ''Grease.''

''He was really great,'' Rose told The Rockdale Citizen. ''He was a lot of fun. He had a great smile, and he was always very positive and had a lot of high energy.''

Smith, the drama teacher, said Rincon's grieving father promised to finish restoring his son's cherished Mustang.

DUANE R. RIOS

Age:25

Rank: Sergeant, 1st Combat Engineer Battalion, 1st Marine Division

Hometown: Hammond, Ind.

Erica Rios believes her husband's dedication to helping others may have cost him his life.

Duane Rios was killed April 4 during a firefight near Baghdad.

''He took care of his family, his friends and wanted to take care of every Marine,'' Erica Rios said from her home in San Clemente, Calif. ''That's probably why he didn't make it.''

A 1996 graduate of Griffith High School, Rios married Erica, in 1998 in Las Vegas. He joined the Marines a year later.

She said the service was right where her husband wanted to be.

''He did his job with pride because it was something that he felt was right,'' she said.

Erica Rios said she was blessed to know her husband - even if their time together was cut short.

''He was my angel,'' she said. ''Now he's gone. He was a great guy, none better. I was very blessed for the time that I had him.''

RUSSELL B. RIPPETOE

Age: 27

Rank: Captain, A Company, 3rd Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment

Hometown: Arvada, Colo.

Rusty Rippetoe was a spiritual person'' who carried a Bible with him to Iraq. He had Joshua 1:9 inscribed on the back of his dog tags.

The verse reads, Have not I commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the Lord thy God is with thee.''

Rippetoe was killed April 3 in a car bomb attack at an Army checkpoint in Iraq northwest of Baghdad.

''For 27 years, I was blessed with a person that had a big, big heart,'' said his father, Army Lt. Col. Joe Rippetoe. ''I can't reach out and touch him, but I can talk to him and I see him.''

Rippetoe grew up in Bellevue, Neb., until his family moved to Arvada, Colo., when he was 12. He graduated from Broomfield High School in 1993 and Metro State College in 1999. He was a member of the University of Colorado ROTC program.

Rippetoe became the first combat casualty from the Iraq war to be buried at Arlington National Cemetery.

Sgt. 1st Class Jose A. Rivera

34

3rd Battalion, 505th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade, 82nd Airborne Division

Bayamon, Puerto Rico

Killed when his patrol came under fire from rocket-propelled grenades and small arms fire in Mumuhdyah, Iraq, on November 5, 2003

JOHN TRAVIS RIVERO

Age: 23

Rank: Corporal, C Company, 2nd Battalion, 124th Infantry Division

Hometown: Gainesville, Fla.

John Rivero initially joined the Florida National Guard to help pay for school, but he soon began thinking of the military as a possible career, and wanted to go to officer training school.

''He felt like he was making the world a better place, and we felt like he was, too,'' said his mother, Patti Gardham.

Rivero was killed April 17 when his Humvee overturned in Kuwait.

Rivero was born in at Robins Air Force Base in Georgia. He grew up in Gainesville and enlisted in the National Guard in 1998. He studied computer science and engineering at the University of South Florida, and spent a semester on the school's cheerleading squad before being deployed in January.

''He knew he was doing a good thing and he really felt strongly about what he was doing,'' said Rivero's sister, Terese Strickland.

Sgt. Thomas D. Robbins

27

Troop A, 1st Squadron, 14th Cavalry Regiment, Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division

Schenectady, New York

Killed when a collection of unexploded ordnance, rocket-propelled grenades and mortar rounds detonated while being moved to a demolition point in Sinjar, Iraq, on February 9, 2004

TODD J. ROBBINS

Age: 33

Rank: Sergeant, C Battery, 3rd Battalion, 13th Field Artillery Regiment

Hometown: Pentwater, Mich.

Todd Robbins tried the Navy but didn't like it. He considered law enforcement, but that didn't suit him either.

He finally found his niche when he joined the Army.

''He always, always wanted to be in the Army,'' his father, Dale Robbins Sr., said. ''He lived, ate and slept the Army. He just loved it.''

Robbins was killed in action April 3 when a bomb, possibly launched by coalition forces, struck the rocket launcher he was manning.

Robbins, a 1988 graduate of Hart High School, served in the Navy during the 1991 Gulf War.

After his discharge, Robbins studied criminal justice at West Shore Community College, anticipating a law-enforcement career. He chose the Army instead.

Robbins' wife, Laura, works at his base, Fort Sill, in Oklahoma.

He had a son, Cruz, 13, from an earlier marriage.

Lance Cpl. Anthony P. Roberts

18

2nd Battalion, 4th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, 1st Marine Expeditionary Force

Bear, Delaware

Killed by hostile fire in Al Anbar Province, Iraq, on April 6, 2004

Sgt. Steven Mark Roberts

33

2nd Royal Tank Regiment, British Army

Bradford, West Yorkshire

Killed in action near Al Zubayr southwest of Basra on March 24, 2003

Spc. Robert D. Roberts

21

1st Squadron, 1st Cavalry Regiment, 1st Armored Division

Winter Park, Florida

Died of injuries he suffered when a tank collided with his vehicle in Baghdad, Iraq, on November 22, 2003

Staff Sgt. Joseph E. Robsky, Jr.

31

759th Ordnance Company

Elizaville, New York

Killed when an initial attempt to neutralize an improvised explosive device failed

MARLIN T. ROCKHOLD

Age: 23

Rank: Private 1st Class, 3rd Battalion, 7th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Infantry Division (Mechanized)

Hometown: Hamilton, Ohio

When Marlin Rockhold returned for Iraq, he planned to adopt his new wife's 8-year-old daughter from a previous marriage, a child he had known since she was 2.

''She thought of him as her father,'' DaVonna Rockhold said. ''She was daddy's girl. He taught her how to ride a bike and took her on walks. I'm going to try to get her last name changed to Rockhold.''

Rockhold was killed by a sniper's bullet May 8 in Baghdad while he was directing traffic on a bridge.

Rockhold, who played on the Hamilton High School football team, graduated in 1998. He enlisted in 2001, and was married 14 months ago. He had talked about joining the armed forces since he was a young boy.

''He felt he wanted to go and do what he could for his country,'' said Eileen Henderson, his grandmother who reared him. ''He was very dedicated.''

JOSE FRANCIS GONZALEZ RODRIGUEZ

Age: 19

Rank: Private 1st Class, 1st Supply Battalion, 1st Force Service Support Group

Hometown: Norwalk, Calif.

Jose Gonzalez Rodriguez was the model high school kid: An honor student, an athlete who wore his baseball team's cap at school, and someone who seldom missed a high school event.

''He enjoyed all of that,'' said John Glenn High School principal Linda Granillo. ''We remember him dancing at all the school dances. He was very well-liked.''

Rodriguez was killed May 12 when ordnance he was handling exploded.

Rodriguez, an immigrant from Mexico, played third base for John Glenn High's baseball team, and never missed practice. He enlisted immediately after graduating in 2001 with a 3.4 grade point average.

Roxana Mendoza, 17, said she remembered Rodriguez as always smiling and trying to cheer her up.

'Every time he'd see me sad, he'd hug me and (ask) me, `What's wrong?' '' Mendoza said.

ROBERT M. RODRIGUEZ

Age: 21

Rank: Corporal, 1st Tank Battalion, 1st Marine Division, Marine Corps Air-Ground Combat Center

Hometown: Queens, N.Y.

Robert Rodríguez wore his patriotism proudly: He had tattoos of the famous American flag-

raisings at Iwo Jima and ''Ground Zero,'' the site of destroyed World Trade Center.

Rodríguez was killed in action March 27 when his tank fell into the Euphrates River northwest of Nassiriyah, Iraq. His body was recovered March 30.

After high school, Rodríguez joined the Marines at age 17. He envisioned a career in the military or law enforcement.

''He loved the Marines,'' said his sister, Hyda Hernández-López. ''We were all so very proud of him. He was our hero.''

Rodríguez was an avid jogger and weight lifter. He wore tattoos of the Puerto Rican flag and an amaryllis flower -- his mother's name.

''He wanted to keep her close to his heart,'' Hernández-López said.

Maj. Jose Carlos Rodriguez Perez

41

Spanish National Intelligence Center and Army Infantry Division

Zamora, Spain

Killed when a convoy of Spanish military intelligence officials was ambushed in Mahmudiyah, Iraq, on November 29, 2003

Spc. Philip G. Rogers

23

3rd Battalion, 2nd Infantry Division

Gresham, Oregon

Died from wounds he received when an improvised explosive device detonated on a road in Mosul, Iraq, as a U.S. military convoy drove by on April 4, 2004

Sgt. 1st Class Robert E. Rooney

43

379th Engineer Company, Army National Guard

Nashua, New Hampshire

Died of injuries received when he was struck by a forklift at Shuabai Port in Kuwait on September 25, 2003

RANDAL KENT ROSACKER

Age: 21

Rank: Corporal, 1st Battalion, 2nd Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Expeditionary Brigade

Hometown: San Diego, Calif.

Randal Rosacker wrote letters from the Middle East to his parents on used food containers, saying how he missed them and complaining of the sandstorms. On Monday, his parents mailed him boxes of letters, candy, and bandanas for protection against blowing sand.

They didn't yet know that Rosacker had been killed the day before in fighting near Nassiriyah in Iraq.

Rosacker's father, Navy Command Master Chief Rod Rosacker, knew the news was bad when one of his daughters told him two Marines and a chaplain were at the door of their Bremerton, Wash., home.

''He just wanted to do something for his country, and that's what he did,'' Rosacker said of his son. ''He was doing what he wanted to.''

Rosacker, who lived with his wife, Brooke, in San Diego, joined the Marines when he was 18, despite scholarship offers to play college football, his father said.

Sgt. Scott C. Rose

30

5th Battalion, 101st Aviation Regiment, 101st Airborne Division

Fayetteville, North Carolina

Killed when the UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter he was in was shot down in Tikrit, Iraq, on November 7, 2003

Sgt. Randy S. Rosenberg

23

Company B, 1st Squadron, 9th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Cavalry Division

Berlin, New Hampshire

Killed when a vehicle-based improvised explosive device detonated in Khalidiyah, Iraq, on January 24, 2004

BRANDON J. ROWE

Age: 20

Rank: Specialist, C Company, 1st Battalion, 502nd Infantry Regiment, 101st Airborne Division

Hometown: Roscoe, Ill.

Brandon Rowe was known for his sense of humor. Friend Josh Weidman said Rowe once made him laugh so hard in second grade he fell off the lunch table.

''I don't remember what it was,'' Weidman said. ''He was making me laugh, I leaned back, and there was no back on the lunch table. I grabbed onto him and took him down with me.''

Rowe was killed in combat March 31 in Ayyub, Iraq.

Rowe, the youngest of four siblings, joined the Marines shortly after graduating from Hononegah High School in Rockton, Ill., in 2000. He took acting classes at Rock Valley College, and once appeared in Twelfth Night and The Spider's Web.

Acting teacher Mike Webb recalled Rowe cracking jokes on stage when fellow actors struggled with lines.

''He was an amazing kid,'' Webb said. ''He was very analytical, a very thoughtful person.''

Sgt. Roger D. Rowe

54

1174th Troop Command, Tennessee National Guard

Bon Aqua, Tennessee

Killed by a sniper in Iraq on July 9, 2003

2nd Lt. Jonathan D. Rozier

25

2nd Battalion, 70th Armored Regiment, 3rd Brigade, 1st Armored Division

Katy, Texas

Killed when his unit was attacked with rocket-propelled grenades and small-arms fire while providing security at a municipal building in Baghdad, Iraq on July 19, 2003

Sgt. John W. Russell

26

4th Battalion, 101st Aviation Regiment, 101st Airborne Division

Portland, Texas

Killed when two 101st Airborne Division UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters collided in mid-air over Mosul, Iraq, on November 15, 2003

TIMOTHY LOUIS RYAN

Age: 30

Rank: 1st Lieutenant, Medium Helicopter Squadron -- 364, Marine Aircraft Group 39, 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing Hometown: Aurora, Ill.

Timothy Ryan's unusual route to the cockpit of a Marine helicopter: By way of the Marine Drum and Bugle Corps.

Ryan enlisted in 1997 just weeks after graduating from Illinois State University with a music degree, and was chosen to play percussion with the elite 80-musician ensemble.

But his true passion was flying.

''He said he would love to fly things, but when he was a kid he said he would like to be a chef, too, so who knew?'' said his mother, Judi Ryan.

Ryan was killed May 19 when his CH-46 Sea-Knight helicopter crashed into a canal near Hillah, Iraq, shortly after take-off.

Ryan played with the marching band at West Aurora High School. He lived with his wife, Michelle, in the San Diego area.

Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.

Matthew 11:28

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