Army Spc. Clarence Adams III

Died September 7, 2004 Serving During Operation Iraqi Freedom

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28, of Richmond, Va.; assigned to the 91st Engineer Battalion, 1st Cavalry Division, Fort Hood, Texas; died Sept. 7 of injuries sustained Sept. 6 when his Humvee hit an improvised explosive device in Baghdad.

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‘He was always looking out for me’

The Associated Press

Clarence Adams III was the kind of guy who always made time to phone a younger sibling.

“He would tell me never to stoop to a low level, to always carry myself with respect,” said his brother, Mykale Adams. “He was always looking out for me, no matter where he was.”

Adams, 28, of Richmond, Va., died Sept. 7 when his vehicle hit a roadside bomb. He died the day after his birthday, which he shared with twin sister Pamela, a doctoral student.

Adams, who loved Cheese Nips and Slim Jims, was a star running back in high school. He went to Virginia Union University on a partial athletic scholarship and joined the Army to help pay for the rest of his education. He was deployed to Kosovo twice and was based at Fort Hood, Texas.

“He was a true soldier,” said his father, Clarence Adams Jr. “He wanted to do right. He wanted to make a difference in the world, and that’s why he went.”

His oldest daughter, Indya, 8, agreed: “He always thought of others before himself. He loved you no matter what.”

Adams also is survived by his wife, Tanja, and five other children: Aaron, LaShawndra, Oshea, Savannah and Asya.