In Iraq, Mark Maida kept a rosary, a baptismal ring, a pendant of heaven, a St. Christopher’s medal _ more instruments of faith, a minister cracked, than Pope Benedict XVI. But Maida was no saint, his brother said. He recalled Continue reading →
Andrew Bossert wanted to build a house for his wife and planned to use his Army benefits to pay for college and study architecture. Bossert, 24, of Fountain City, Wis., was killed March 7 when a car exploded at a Continue reading →
When he called home from Iraq, Donald Eacho left long messages on the answering machine, taking care to pause so his 5-year-old son could talk back to it. The little boy didn’t know the voice was recorded. Now Eacho’s wife Continue reading →
When he was a Boy Scout, Travis M. Wichlacz was nearly unbeatable at one test of strength and guile: the greased watermelon contest, which he won four years in a row. “They would throw the greased watermelon out into the Continue reading →
Todd D. Olson was an agricultural loan officer who took his job to heart. Even after he was deployed, he asked bank employees to keep him in the loop with his customers. “That tells you the depth of his commitment, Continue reading →
Richard D. Warner embraced life without hesitation and embodied the slogan “No Fear,” his stepfather said. “The greater the challenge, the more that Rich would throw himself into it,” Pat Donahue said. Warner, 22, of Waukesha, Wis., was killed by Continue reading →
The day after Brent T. Vroman died, heads were bowed around a high school wrestling meet. An announcement about Vroman’s death sparked an immediate silence. “You all knew Brent Vroman was one of our own,” the announcer said. Vroman, 21, Continue reading →
Ryan J. Cantafio understood the dangers of serving in Iraq. Two close friends had already died there. The week before his death, he e-mailed his family and said he’d had a close call. “The last we heard he was up Continue reading →
At 6-feet-4 and in tiptop shape, Benjamin Edinger had the imposing look of a true Marine. Those who knew him best, though, talk about his softer side. “He was absolutely sweet. You use the term gentle giant and that absolutely Continue reading →
Isaiah Hunt at first balked at the idea of joining the Army and didn”t want to leave his new girlfriend to go to Iraq. But the military gave him a newfound maturity.
“He grew up in a short period of Continue reading →