Army Spc. Sean R. Mitchell

Died March 31, 2004 Serving During Operation Iraqi Freedom

---

24, of Youngsville, Pa.; assigned to the Army’s 1st Engineer Battalion, 1st Brigade, 1st Infantry Division, Fort Riley, Kan.; killed March 31 when an improvised explosive device hit his armored personnel carrier in Habbaniyah, Iraq.

---

At 6-foot-4, Sean Mitchell was known to friends as "the gentle giant," a natural athlete who also volunteered at a local nursing home. "He just loved old people," said his mother, Danielle Mitchell. Mitchell, 24, of Youngsville, Pa., died March 31 when a bomb exploded near his armored personnel carrier in Habbaniyah, just outside of Fallujah, Iraq. He was based at Fort Riley, Kan. After graduating from high school, Mitchell was a regular sight at his alma mater, where he helped coach the track team. He also received an associate's degree in business and computers but wasn't able to find a job, so he enlisted. The Army was a good way to support him and the family he planned with his wife Denise. "I can't say what prompted him to join," said his mother. But once in, "He was absolutely committed. I was proud of that."

— Associated Press