Army Sgt. Jamie A. Gray

Died June 7, 2004 Serving During Operation Iraqi Freedom

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29, of Montpelier, Vt.; assigned to Headquarters, Headquarters Battery, 1st Battalion, 86th Field Artillery, Vermont Army National Guard, Williston, Vt.; killed June 7 when his vehicle hit an improvised explosive device in Scania, Iraq.

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A country boy who grew up in the hills of Vermont, Jamie Gray grew up learning to hunt, fish, snowmobile, and to give to others. "He loved protecting people. He was proud of what he did," said Sgt. 1st Class Dan Landry. Gray, 29, of East Montpelier, was killed June 7 by a roadside bomb in Iraq. He was a member of the Vermont National Guard in Williston, Vt. A car mechanic in civilian life, fellow soldiers remembered Gray as a man who was quick to help, quick to inspire and quick to lead. "I can't tell you how many vehicles he repaired for members of the National Guard and their families," said National Guard Staff Sgt. John Adams. Gray's commanding officer before he left for Iraq, Capt. Dana Tourangeau, said he hand-picked Gray to be in his unit because of his reputation. "He put a razor-sharp edge on the tip of the spear," Tourangeau said.

— Associated Press