Army Sgt. Edward L. Brooks

Died August 29, 2007 Serving During Operation Iraqi Freedom

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25, of Dayton, Ohio; assigned to the 1st Battalion, 77th Armor Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division, Schweinfurt, Germany; died Aug. 29 in Ramadi, Iraq, of wounds sustained from an improvised explosive device.

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Dayton soldier dies of Iraq wounds

The Associated Press

DAYTON, Ohio — An Ohio soldier killed in Iraq was known for his ability to twirl rifles during precision drills when he was in Junior ROTC at high school.

Army Sgt. Edward Brooks, 25, of Dayton, died Aug. 29 in Ramadi, Iraq, of wounds caused by an improvised explosive device.

Junior ROTC Maj. Odell Graves said Brooks was a member of the Colonel White High School ROTC class of 2000. He said Brooks initially entered the Army as a tank driver and was wounded three times before he was killed.

“He was one of the true heroes in my book,” Graves said.

In the Junior ROTC, Brooks excelled at being a spin master in precision-rifle drills, twirling his 9-pound rifle like a baton.

Graves said Brooks has a wife and a baby in Germany.

Brooks was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 77th Armor Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division, Schweinfurt, Germany.