Army Spc. Nathaniel A. Caldwell

Died May 21, 2003 Serving During Operation Iraqi Freedom

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27, of Omaha, Neb.; assigned to 404th Air Support Battalion, 4th Infantry Division, Fort Hood, Texas; killed in a vehicle accident in Baghdad. Caldwell was responding to a civilian call when his vehicle rolled over.

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Spc. Nathaniel A. Caldwell was a tank mechanic in the Army. But his dream was to become a pastor, and he looked forward to getting out of the Army and perhaps starting a counseling center.

“He wasn’t a fighter, he was a peacemaker,” said his wife, Amanda Caldwell. “Ever since I’ve known him, he wanted to be a chaplain.”

Caldwell grew up in Arizona and studied sports management at Peru State College in Peru, Neb. The 6-foot-4, 225-pounder was named Peru State’s most inspirational player during the 1997-98 season.

Amanda Caldwell said her husband was a devout Christian who loved to make people feel at ease: “He was always trying to keep everyone’s spirits up.”

Besides his wife, he is survived by two children from his previous marriage: Donovan, 6, and Endira, 4. He also had a stepdaughter, Dallas, 9, from the previous marriage.

— Associated Press