Army Sgt. Michael J. Montpetit

Died June 22, 2007 Serving During Operation Iraqi Freedom

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31, of Honolulu; assigned to the 15th Forward Support Battalion, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division, Fort Hood, Texas; died June 22 in Baghdad of injuries sustained from a non-combat-related incident.

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Family remember soldier who died in Iraq

The Associated Press

Army Sgt. Michael J. Montpetit grew up in Hawaii, dropped out of high school and got a job at a Pizza Hut, where he met and fell in love with Christina when they were both 18.

Christina, the daughter of a career sailor, moved to Hawaii after graduating from high school in Kansas. She persuaded Montpetit to go back and obtain his GED.

“School wasn’t for him,” Christina said. “He’s very smart, but sitting in class just wasn’t his thing.”

Montpetit then turned to the Army, where he had his choice of assignments in New York, Texas or Germany.

“We were so young,” Christina said. “We weren’t sure if he should go to another country and we weren’t sure how populated the New York area would be. So we picked Texas, where they have the largest Army base.”

Montpetit, 31, of Honolulu, was electrocuted while working on a generator outside of Baghdad on June 22. He was assigned to Fort Hood, Texas.

Montpetit was sent to Korea and served two tours in Kuwait and two more in Iraq, and worked as a mechanic fixing generators and trucks with his company.

He also is survived by a 12-year-old son, Christian, and 8-year-old daughter, Courtney.