Marine 1st Lt. Ronald Winchester

Died September 3, 2004 Serving During Operation Iraqi Freedom

25, of Rockville Center, N.Y.; assigned to 1st Battalion, 7th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force, Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center, Twentynine Palms, Calif.; killed Sept 3 by enemy action in Anbar province, Iraq.

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In 2000, Ronald Winchester played in Navy's biggest football game of the season, against Army - and his best friend. There were no hard feelings when Navy beat Army 30-28. "He was like my brother. We had a lot of fun together," said former Army defensive tackle and pal Doug Larson. "He was independent, but we were both dependent on each other." Winchester, 25, of Rockville Center, N.Y., was killed Sept. 3 by a roadside bomb in Iraq’s Anbar province. He graduated from the Naval Academy in 2001 and was on his second tour in Iraq. "Ron was a very gregarious type of individual who was always in the middle of things," said his father, also named Ronald. "He was a true leader, always respected by his peers and dedicated to what he was doing." Winchester also is survived by his mother, Marianna. "When he came home last time, he sat in the dining room telling stories," family friend Maureen Chiaramonte said. "He said, 'Aunt Mo, you know what it's like. You get a choice to sit on the bench or play the game. I don't want to sit on the bench.'"

— Associated Press