Share
U.S. troops who have died in Afghanistan, the Horn of Africa and Iraq.
EDITOR'S NOTE: These tributes, published in alphabetical order, were supplied by The Associated Press.
Army Spc. Kevin Hill
Kevin Hill got serious about his goals after graduating high school in Brooklyn.
"He was really determined and goal-focused," said his sister, Chinyere Hill.
He decided that military service would give him good work experience. He joined the Army in September 2008 against the wishes of family members, especially his father, who had served in the Gulf War.
Hill was assigned to Fort Carson, Colo. He was deployed to Iraq in February and relocated to Afghanistan in April. He was killed Oct. 4 when his contingency outpost was attacked.
Army Sgt. Issac Jackson
Issac Jackson had a big year in 2004, and the underlying story was a romance. He joined the Army in May, a month after meeting his future bride at church. They were engaged within six months and married by the end of the year.
Jackson, 27, of Plattsburg, Mo., was killed Oct. 27 by an explosive in Afghanistan's Arghandab Valley during his second tour of duty. He was assigned to Fort Lewis, Wash.
Marine Capt. Eric Jones
Eric Jones went on a plane ride with a friend at age 12, and from then on, he was hooked.
"He always wanted to fly, and he wanted to go in the military," his mother, Cynthia Jones, said of the Marine helicopter pilot.
She said he decided to be a helicopter pilot - earning his flight wings in April 2007 - so he could provide air support to his comrades on the ground.
Jones, 29, of Westchester, N.Y., was killed in a helicopter collision Oct. 26 in Helmand province, Afghanistan. He was assigned to Camp Pendleton, Calif.
Army Sgt. Joshua Kirk
Army Sgt. Joshua Kirk was anything but passive.
"He was a real aggressive guy," said David Eng, an instructor at Southern Maine Community College, where Kirk took construction technology classes. "He would jump right into projects as a lead person."
Kirk, 30, of South Portland, Maine, died Oct. 3 in Kamdesh, Afghanistan, when insurgents attacked his contingency outpost. He was assigned to Fort Carson, Colo.
Army Spc.
Daniel Lawson
Daniel Lawson fit right in helping kids. Before joining the military, he worked as a teacher's assistant in the Broward County, Fla., school system. Among his assignments was helping children with autism.
"We know that Daniel endured many challenging days with our son but he never complained and always remained positive with his big, bright, beautiful smile!" Desiree Perron of Pompano Beach, Fla., wrote in an online message board.
Lawson, 33, of Deerfield Beach, Fla., died Oct. 15 when his vehicle hit a roadside bomb in Afghanistan's Kandahar province. He was assigned to Fort Carson, Colo.
Army Spc. Eric Lembke
Eric Lembke wasn't always Eric Lembke.
It wasn't until Dorothy Lembke began fostering a boy named Michael Beckum. When she adopted the boy, he changed his name to Eric Lembke. Regardless of his name, he was devoted to those he loved.
"His family was the most important thing to him," said his sister-in-law, Mary Lembke.
Lembke, 25, of Tampa, Fla., was killed by a roadside bomb Oct. 23 in Afghanistan. He was assigned to Fort Carson, Colo.
Army Chief Warrant Officer Niall Lyons
Niall Lyons' son remembers the time he spent and places he went with his father.
"Almost every holiday my dad spent with me. It was just an adventure going places with him," 8-year-old John Patrick Lyons said. "One big adventure."
Now, the boy is coping with the loss of his father, who was killed Oct. 26 in Darreh-ye Bum, Afghanistan. Lyons, 40, died of wounds suffered when the MH-47 helicopter he was aboard crashed.
April Lyons said she believes her husband died helping others because "that's the kind of person he was."
Army Spc.
Stephan Mace
Stephan Mace was an avid hunter, fisherman and paintballer who loved to go on Safaris with his friend Adrian Bouwer in South Africa.
He's also the only guy Bouwer ever knew who ate raw rabbit.
"His spirit will live on in every camp fire under these skies," Bouwer said.
Mace, 21, of Lovettsville, Va., was killed Oct. 3 in Kamdesh, Afghanistan, when insurgents attacked his unit. He was assigned to Fort Carson, Colo.
