Army Staff Sgt. Gregory V. Pennington

Died June 21, 2004 Serving During Operation Iraqi Freedom

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36, of Glade Spring, Va.; assigned to 2nd Squadron, 7th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Cavalry Division, Fort Hood, Texas; killed June 21 when his camp came under mortar attack in Baghdad.

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As a member of Special Forces, Gregory V. Pennington couldn't tell his family much about his experiences in Iraq, but he still made sure to call home on Father's Day, the day before he died. "His captain said he died a hero," Aulbin Pennington said of his son. Army officers told the family that the soldier died trying to evacuate his men during an attack on their camp. The 36-year-old from Glade Spring, Va., died June 21 in Baghdad. He was stationed at Fort Hood, Texas. Visitors to the soldier's Damascus, Va., high school stopped to sign bulletin boards in his memory. "I'm very proud to have known him," said Leigh Ann Copenhaver, who graduated with Pennington in 1986. "I'll remember how proud he made this community." Survivors include his wife, Janet.

— Associated Press