Army Staff Sgt. Mike A. Dennie

Died September 29, 2004 Serving During Operation Iraqi Freedom

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31, of Fayetteville, N.C.; assigned to the 106th Finance Battalion, Kitzingen, Germany; died Sept. 29 in Balad, Iraq, of injuries sustained Sept. 22 when the driver of his military vehicle pulled off the road and lost control, causing it to roll over, in Baghdad.

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As they wept over his death, few mourners at Mike Dennie's memorial service could remember when he wasn't smiling. "Staff Sgt. Dennie lived deeply," recalled his friend, Staff Sgt. Tanya Harris. "Not a day went by where he was sad or upset for more than five minutes. Even if he was, he'd soon be flashing those pearly whites again." Dennie, 31, of Fayetteville, N.C., died Sept. 29 from injures he sustained a week earlier in a vehicle rollover. He was based in Germany. Dennie was born in Jamaica. He joined the Army in 1996 and served until 2001, then rejoined in 2002. He helped get pay and petty cash to 13,000 troops at operating bases. Until recently, he had formed an inseparable trio with two other soldiers. The others wrote a tribute that Harris read at the service. "We'll always remember your sayings and funny comments, especially the ones that made no sense at all," they wrote. "It's hard to believe that our trio is now down to two." Dennie is survived by his wife, Beverly, and daughter, Imani.

— Associated Press