Army Sgt. Joseph A. Richard III

Died April 14, 2008 Serving During Operation Iraqi Freedom

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27, of Lafayette, La.; assigned to the 4th Brigade Special Troops Battalion, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division (Light Infantry), Fort Polk, La.; died April 14 in Baghdad of wounds sustained when his vehicle encountered an improvised explosive device.

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Army Sgt. Joseph A. Richard III remembered

The Associated Press

From the time he was learning to walk, Joseph A. Richard III was called “Little Joe.” He picked up the name “Sweet Joe” in high school.

“His classmates nicknamed him Sweet Joe because he was such a gentleman and was so kind,” said Paula Mayeux, his former school secretary.

Richard, 27, of Lafayette, La., was killed April 14 in Baghdad of wounds sustained from an explosive. He was assigned to Fort Polk and was on his third tour.

He was a 1999 high school graduate and attended the University of Louisiana at Lafayette, where he was pursuing a bachelor’s in public relations.

Andrew Ducote, his former principal, said he was known as a quiet young man, but a hard worker. “He was dedicated, he had a sense of responsibility. His service proves that,” Ducote said.

Mayeux said she and others had been surprised when Richard opted for the military. “We kind of thought he was going into the priesthood,” she said.

“His aunt asked him why he signed up for a third deployment. He told her, ‘To save my country.’ He was a very fine child,” said neighbor Marilyn LaFleur.

He is survived by his wife, Monique.