Army Pfc. Marcus A. Tynes

Died November 22, 2009 Serving During Operation Enduring Freedom

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19, of Moreno Valley, Calif.; assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 508th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division, Fort Benning, Ga.; died Nov. 22 in Zabul province, Afghanistan, of wounds sustained when enemy forces attacked his vehicle with an improvised explosive device. Also killed was Sgt. James M. Nolen.

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Effervescent personality was Tynes’ calling card

The Associated Press

Marcus Tynes had a “bubbly personality,” his mother said, and by all accounts he was caring and full of laughter.

“When I hear ‘Marcus Tynes,’ I think of fun, jokes and laughter,” said Anthony Moxley Sr., who coached Tynes on a basketball team.

Tynes, 19, of Moreno Valley, Calif., was killed Nov. 22 in Kandahar province, Afghanistan, when the vehicle he was in was hit by a roadside bomb. He was based at Fort Bragg, N.C.

“He was very happy about being there,” said Tynes’ mother, Dana Atlas. “It was what he wanted to do. He enjoyed serving his country, he loved traveling. He loved the Lord and he loved life.”

Atlas said her son graduated from Valley View High School. He played basketball and football for the school and got involved in a program called Police Explorers.

“He was a loving kid, he was very concerned about other people,” she said. “Always had a smile — a contagious smile.”

He is survived by his mother and his stepfather, Bruce Atlas; his father, Marcus Tynes Sr.; and a stepbrother, Johanas Atlas.