Army Pfc. William R. Strange

Died April 2, 2004 Serving During Operation Iraqi Freedom

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19, of Adrian, Ga.; assigned to the 91st Engineer Battalion, 1st Cavalry Division, Fort Hood, Texas; killed April 2 when an improvised explosive device detonated as he was setting up an observation point in Baghdad.

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For Pfc. William Strange, being in the military was the first step toward success. "He told me, 'I was going down the wrong road; I'm going into the service,'" said Daniel McCoy, police chief of Adrian, Ga. Strange's girlfriend, Teri Peebles, said he had a plan to serve in the military, go to college and eventually marry her. Strange, 19, of Adrian, was killed April 2 when an improvised explosive device detonated in Baghdad where he was setting up an observation point. Strange, who graduated from high school in Swainsboro, Ga., was based at Fort Hood, Texas. "You could have given him a million dollars and I don't think that would have made him as happy as being in the military," said his sister, Tawanna Davis. Strange was an outgoing person who loved people and looked out for his family. "He would do crazy stuff just to make us laugh," Davis said. "He would make funny faces. He didn't like seeing people sad.”

— Associated Press