Army Sgt. Jason M. Weaver

Died March 3, 2011 Serving During Operation Enduring Freedom

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22, of Anaheim, Calif.; assigned to 504th Military Police Battalion, 42nd Military Police Brigade, Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Wash.; died March 3 in Kandahar province, Afghanistan, of wounds sustained when insurgents attacked his unit using an improvised explosive device.

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Fallen soldier remembered for optimism, leadership

The Associated Press

Jason Weaver had a smile and sense of humor that could cheer those around him, friends and family said.

When times grew challenging, the soldier showed optimism, even smiling through hot and dusty days as he served in Afghanistan, comrades remembered.

“He was beautiful inside and out,” said his aunt, Gloria Wood. “And those dimples — what a face!”

Weaver, 22, of Anaheim, Calif., was killed March 3 in Kandahar province. He was assigned to Joint Base Lewis-McChord.

Friend Spc. Brian Gabel said Weaver took the lead on his squad’s foot patrols, and he volunteered for the position, even though it was a risky responsibility.

“He knew it was a dangerous job,” Gabel said in an Army account. “But that’s the kind of guy he was: the kind who wanted to lead the way for his team and be there to protect them if they were in danger.”

Weaver was promoted posthumously from specialist to sergeant.

The Orange County Register reported that he played linebacker on the El Dorado High School football team in Placentia before graduating in 2007.

“My son was a very compassionate, loving, caring and generous person,” Patricia Weaver said in a statement. “He will be missed dearly by everybody.”