Army Pvt. Charles Y. Barnett, 19, of Bel Air, Md.; assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 12th Cavalry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division, Fort Hood, Texas; died on Nov. 20 of injuries sustained from a non-combat related incident in Tallil, Iraq.
HE WAS EXCELLENT STUDENT AND BELOVED BROTHER
Charles Barnett was born in 1989. His mother was from Seoul and his parents met when his father, a Army staff sergeant, was stationed in South Korea.
He attended school in Sykesville and then, after his mother remarried, attended Bel Air High School, before obtaining a GED. He wanted to serve in the Army for a few years and then attend college.
Soon after he turned 18, Charles told his mother he wanted to join the Army. His mother chased military recruiters from her home, but the teenager was determined to enlist.
Charles Yi Barnett enlisted in the U.S. Army right out of high school to fulfill his adventurous dreams of becoming a SWAT team member.
"When he was 14, that’s all he talked about," said Barnett’s eldest brother, Jason. "He just wanted to get his foot in the door and do something different with his life."...
Private Barnett was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 12th Cavalry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division, Fort Hood, Texas. In May of 2008, The private was sent to Iraq. Among other duties, he was assigned to clear roads of mines.
Late Thursday, November 20th, military officials came to his mother and stepfather's Bel Air home with news that the 19-year-old had died that day of injuries he received in Tallil in a noncombat incident.
"When we opened the door, there was a chaplain and a staff sergeant — why else would they be at our home at 11 at night?" Danshiell said.
"I knew Jesus was holding his hand," his mother said. "I knew he would be OK. I prayed for him. I never, ever thought two soldiers would be knocking on my door in the middle of the night."
Barnett was the youngest of three sons born to his Korean-born mother and American father. His parents divorced when the boys were young, and the three boys grew up very close in their mother's Sykesville home, said his eldest brother, Jason Barnett, 22, of Cheyenne, Wyo.
As a boy, Barnett loved drawing complicated scenes of fantasy characters and comic book heroes. He was an excellent student and often helped his older brothers with their homework, his mother recalled.
Saturday, December 6, 2008
Wednesday, October 8, 2008
Maryland's Eighty-Fourth Hero
Marine Col. Michael R. Stahlman, 45, of Chevy Chase, Md., died Oct. 5 from injuries sustained in a July 31 non-hostile incident in Anbar province, Iraq. He was assigned to Headquarters Battalion, Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center, Twentynine Palms, Calif.
HE WAS A GREAT GENTLEMAN, TRULY
The investigating officer in the 2007 trial of a Marine charged with killing several dozen Iraqi civilians died Sunday, less than three months after he sustained head injuries in a non-hostile incident in Iraq's Anbar province.
Marine Col. Michael R. Stahlman, 45 and a Chevy Chase native, died at approximately 11:24 a.m. near his home in Yucca Valley, Calif.
Stahlman, a judge advocate and a 1985 graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, had returned to the United States for treatment following his injury. He was assigned to Headquarters Battalion, Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center in Twentynine Palms, Calif.
"He was a great gentleman, truly," said Dale Saran, a Rhode Island reservist and attorney who met Stahlman in 1997 while interning at Camp Lejeune, N.C. "He was my review officer at Camp Lejeune. He was a real mentor to me the summer I worked for him, just a class act (and) a very good athlete."
Last month, Stahlman developed sepsis, a blood-stream infection, as a result of his head injuries.
His death prompted an outpouring of condolences from friends and acquaintances on a blog dedicated to Stahlman's healing.
"Mike was a truly a stand-out among Marines I have worked with during my career," wrote one visitor to mikeonthemend.blogspot.com. "Whenever I asked him for help or advice, he would immediately respond. It always felt as if he dropped everything else to help me. Somehow, I feel that is the case with everyone Mike met."
HE WAS A GREAT GENTLEMAN, TRULY
The investigating officer in the 2007 trial of a Marine charged with killing several dozen Iraqi civilians died Sunday, less than three months after he sustained head injuries in a non-hostile incident in Iraq's Anbar province.
Marine Col. Michael R. Stahlman, 45 and a Chevy Chase native, died at approximately 11:24 a.m. near his home in Yucca Valley, Calif.
Stahlman, a judge advocate and a 1985 graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, had returned to the United States for treatment following his injury. He was assigned to Headquarters Battalion, Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center in Twentynine Palms, Calif.
"He was a great gentleman, truly," said Dale Saran, a Rhode Island reservist and attorney who met Stahlman in 1997 while interning at Camp Lejeune, N.C. "He was my review officer at Camp Lejeune. He was a real mentor to me the summer I worked for him, just a class act (and) a very good athlete."
Last month, Stahlman developed sepsis, a blood-stream infection, as a result of his head injuries.
His death prompted an outpouring of condolences from friends and acquaintances on a blog dedicated to Stahlman's healing.
"Mike was a truly a stand-out among Marines I have worked with during my career," wrote one visitor to mikeonthemend.blogspot.com. "Whenever I asked him for help or advice, he would immediately respond. It always felt as if he dropped everything else to help me. Somehow, I feel that is the case with everyone Mike met."
Friday, September 12, 2008
Maryland's Eighty-Third Hero
Marine Capt. Jesse Melton III, 29, of Randallstown, Md.; assigned to Headquarters Battery, 12th Marines, 3rd Marine Division, III Marine Expeditionary Force, Okinawa, Japan; died Sept. 9 in Parwan Province, Afghanistan, while supporting combat operations. Also killed was 1st Lt. Nicholas A. Madrazo.
HE WAS A SERVANT LEADER
Capt. Jesse Melton III, 29, was working with a team helping to train members of the Afghan National Army when a roadside bomb exploded, killing him, another Marine officer, a member of the U.S. Navy and an Afghani interpreter, said his mother, Janice Chance.
"He was a man of honor and a servant leader," she said last night as their family's Owings Mills home filled with friends and relatives. "He knew there were missions to do and work to do, and for the greater good, he was a Marine all the way."
After graduating in 1996 from Randallstown High School, where he played lacrosse and baseball, Captain Melton attended Messiah College in Grantham, Pa., where he studied communications.
But after his freshman year, he joined the Marine Corps Reserve and attended boot camp at Parris Island, S.C., his family said.
"It literally changed his life," said his younger sister, Jenine Melton, a captain in the U.S. Army who has served two tours of duty in Iraq and is stationed at Fort Knox, Ky. "He used to be very messy - the way, most of the time, boys' rooms aren't so neat. But when I went to see him in Parris Island, you could bounce a quarter off his bed.
"And he was proud. He felt a sense of duty to his country, duty to his family, and he wanted to do something to make America proud, to give something back to a country that has given us so much."
At the end of basic training, his drill sergeant recommended him for Officer Candidate School, his sister said. Captain Melton completed that training while also finishing his communications degree at Messiah College.
He was commissioned as a second lieutenant June 4, 2000, his mother said. He served two tours in Okinawa, Japan, and a tour in Iraq. He was promoted to captain before deploying to Iraq.
When Captain Melton learned he would be going to Afghanistan, his family was far more concerned for his safety than he was.
"Do you want me to get you out of there?" his mother recalled offering. "I'll do anything I can, even calling the commandant if I have to."
Yesterday, she recalled her son's response: "He said, 'Don't you dare. And if anything happens to me, don't you dare blame President Bush. Don't you blame the military. This is my decision. I feel God has led me to stay.'"
In March, he left for Afghanistan. At the time of his death Tuesday, Captain Melton was supporting combat operations in Parwan province. He was assigned to the Headquarters Battery of the 12th Marines, 3rd Marine Division, based out of Kaneohe Bay, Hawaii, according to the Department of Defense.
"Even though he was a communications officer, he did a lot of other things," Mrs. Chance said. "He went on patrols and convoys, he worked the gun. When you're over there, you have to do a lot of things."
HE WAS A SERVANT LEADER
Capt. Jesse Melton III, 29, was working with a team helping to train members of the Afghan National Army when a roadside bomb exploded, killing him, another Marine officer, a member of the U.S. Navy and an Afghani interpreter, said his mother, Janice Chance.
"He was a man of honor and a servant leader," she said last night as their family's Owings Mills home filled with friends and relatives. "He knew there were missions to do and work to do, and for the greater good, he was a Marine all the way."
After graduating in 1996 from Randallstown High School, where he played lacrosse and baseball, Captain Melton attended Messiah College in Grantham, Pa., where he studied communications.
But after his freshman year, he joined the Marine Corps Reserve and attended boot camp at Parris Island, S.C., his family said.
"It literally changed his life," said his younger sister, Jenine Melton, a captain in the U.S. Army who has served two tours of duty in Iraq and is stationed at Fort Knox, Ky. "He used to be very messy - the way, most of the time, boys' rooms aren't so neat. But when I went to see him in Parris Island, you could bounce a quarter off his bed.
"And he was proud. He felt a sense of duty to his country, duty to his family, and he wanted to do something to make America proud, to give something back to a country that has given us so much."
At the end of basic training, his drill sergeant recommended him for Officer Candidate School, his sister said. Captain Melton completed that training while also finishing his communications degree at Messiah College.
He was commissioned as a second lieutenant June 4, 2000, his mother said. He served two tours in Okinawa, Japan, and a tour in Iraq. He was promoted to captain before deploying to Iraq.
When Captain Melton learned he would be going to Afghanistan, his family was far more concerned for his safety than he was.
"Do you want me to get you out of there?" his mother recalled offering. "I'll do anything I can, even calling the commandant if I have to."
Yesterday, she recalled her son's response: "He said, 'Don't you dare. And if anything happens to me, don't you dare blame President Bush. Don't you blame the military. This is my decision. I feel God has led me to stay.'"
In March, he left for Afghanistan. At the time of his death Tuesday, Captain Melton was supporting combat operations in Parwan province. He was assigned to the Headquarters Battery of the 12th Marines, 3rd Marine Division, based out of Kaneohe Bay, Hawaii, according to the Department of Defense.
"Even though he was a communications officer, he did a lot of other things," Mrs. Chance said. "He went on patrols and convoys, he worked the gun. When you're over there, you have to do a lot of things."
Friday, August 29, 2008
Maryland's Eighty-Second Hero
Army Staff Sgt. David L. Paquet, 26, of Rising Sun, Md.; assigned to the 1st Battalion, 26th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division, Fort Hood, Texas; died Aug. 20 at Combat Outpost Vegas, Afghanistan, of undetermined causes while conducting a patrol.
HE WAS ONE IN A MILLION
Staff Sgt. David L. Paquet, U.S. Army, age 26, collapsed and died of non-casualty, natural causes, Aug. 20, 2008, while on patrol in Korengal Valley/Vegas, Afghanistan. He was 41 days into his fourth tour in the Middle East. The first two were in Kuwait and the third was in Iraq.
Born in Freehold, NJ., Sgt. Paquet was a son of Fern, Sr. and Dawn Murray Paquet of New Hampshire. He grew up in Rising Sun, MD and graduated from Rising Sun High School.
His beloved wife of six years, Katie Seese Paquet, grew up in the Souderton/Hatfield area. Katie described David as a "Great Man," who was very respected and loved by many people. She wants everyone to know that there will never be another David, he was "One in a Million."
HE WAS ONE IN A MILLION
Staff Sgt. David L. Paquet, U.S. Army, age 26, collapsed and died of non-casualty, natural causes, Aug. 20, 2008, while on patrol in Korengal Valley/Vegas, Afghanistan. He was 41 days into his fourth tour in the Middle East. The first two were in Kuwait and the third was in Iraq.
Born in Freehold, NJ., Sgt. Paquet was a son of Fern, Sr. and Dawn Murray Paquet of New Hampshire. He grew up in Rising Sun, MD and graduated from Rising Sun High School.
His beloved wife of six years, Katie Seese Paquet, grew up in the Souderton/Hatfield area. Katie described David as a "Great Man," who was very respected and loved by many people. She wants everyone to know that there will never be another David, he was "One in a Million."
Saturday, August 9, 2008
Maryland's Eighty-First Hero
Army Sgt. Ryan P. Baumann, 24, of Great Mills, Md., died Aug. 1, on Route Alaska, Afghanistan, of wounds sustained when his vehicle encountered an improvised explosive device. He was assigned to the 4th Battalion, 320th Field Artillery Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault), Fort Campbell, Ky.
HE HAD TO BE BEST AT EVERYTHING
When Sgt. Ryan P. Baumann told his family five years ago that he wanted to join the Army, relatives say they knew it was coming.
Sergeant Baumann spent eight years of his childhood in Germany, where he picked up a foreign language and learned the ins and outs of Army life.
"Ryan grew up around the miliary," said his mother, Cindy Lohman, who worked as a civilian nurse on a base in Germany. "It didn't surprise me. His heroes were guys in the 82nd [Airborne Division]. And he was a post 9-11 child, so he felt very committed to doing something to protect this country."
Sergeant Baumann. 24, a motor transport operator with the 101st Airborne Division, died in Afghanistan on Friday from injuries suffered after his vehicle encountered an improvised explosive device, according to the Department of Defense. .
Born in Ohio, Sergeant Baumann moved with his mother, stepfather and sister to Neuenburg when he was 5. Sergeant Baumann's stepfather was working toward a doctorate, while his mother began working as a civilian nurse.
Sergeant Baumann attended German schools, but celebrated many Fourth of Julys watching fireworks with soldiers.
"He kept saying he wanted to be part of the 101st, and he got in and did a good job. He really wanted to stay in and have it be a career. His e-mail was Army for Life," Ms. Lohman said.
Sergeant Baumann returned with his family to the United States and settled in Maryland. After graduating from Great Mills High School, he joined the Army in May 2004 and arrived at Fort Campbell, Ky., in September 2004.
When he was a senior in high school, Sergeant Baumann met his future fiancee, Lauren Smith. The two were to have been married Jan. 10, 2009.
Ms. Smith said Sergeant Baumann proposed to her atop a mountain in Tennessee. The two spent countless days hiking and enjoying the outdoors.
"I loved everything about him," Ms. Smith said. "I loved the fact that he had to be the best at everything. He really put his all into everything he did."Sergeant Baumann's base in Kentucky allowed him to be closer to his father, Robert Baumann of Jeffersonville, Ind.
"When he got stationed at Ft. Campbell, I was ecstatic," Mr. Baumann said. "He'd come up every other weekend to spend time together."
Along with his mother and father, Sergeant Baumann is survived by his sister, Christina Baumann of Phoenix.
A memorial service for Sergeant Baumann will be held in Maryland, and he will be buried in Arlington National Cemetery.
HE HAD TO BE BEST AT EVERYTHING
When Sgt. Ryan P. Baumann told his family five years ago that he wanted to join the Army, relatives say they knew it was coming.
Sergeant Baumann spent eight years of his childhood in Germany, where he picked up a foreign language and learned the ins and outs of Army life.
"Ryan grew up around the miliary," said his mother, Cindy Lohman, who worked as a civilian nurse on a base in Germany. "It didn't surprise me. His heroes were guys in the 82nd [Airborne Division]. And he was a post 9-11 child, so he felt very committed to doing something to protect this country."
Sergeant Baumann. 24, a motor transport operator with the 101st Airborne Division, died in Afghanistan on Friday from injuries suffered after his vehicle encountered an improvised explosive device, according to the Department of Defense. .
Born in Ohio, Sergeant Baumann moved with his mother, stepfather and sister to Neuenburg when he was 5. Sergeant Baumann's stepfather was working toward a doctorate, while his mother began working as a civilian nurse.
Sergeant Baumann attended German schools, but celebrated many Fourth of Julys watching fireworks with soldiers.
"He kept saying he wanted to be part of the 101st, and he got in and did a good job. He really wanted to stay in and have it be a career. His e-mail was Army for Life," Ms. Lohman said.
Sergeant Baumann returned with his family to the United States and settled in Maryland. After graduating from Great Mills High School, he joined the Army in May 2004 and arrived at Fort Campbell, Ky., in September 2004.
When he was a senior in high school, Sergeant Baumann met his future fiancee, Lauren Smith. The two were to have been married Jan. 10, 2009.
Ms. Smith said Sergeant Baumann proposed to her atop a mountain in Tennessee. The two spent countless days hiking and enjoying the outdoors.
"I loved everything about him," Ms. Smith said. "I loved the fact that he had to be the best at everything. He really put his all into everything he did."Sergeant Baumann's base in Kentucky allowed him to be closer to his father, Robert Baumann of Jeffersonville, Ind.
"When he got stationed at Ft. Campbell, I was ecstatic," Mr. Baumann said. "He'd come up every other weekend to spend time together."
Along with his mother and father, Sergeant Baumann is survived by his sister, Christina Baumann of Phoenix.
A memorial service for Sergeant Baumann will be held in Maryland, and he will be buried in Arlington National Cemetery.
Monday, June 30, 2008
Maryland's Eightieth Hero
Army Lt. Col. James J. Walton, 41, of Rockville, Md.; assigned to a Military Transition Team, 1st Brigade, 1st Infantry Division, Fort Riley, Kan.; died June 21 in Kandahar, Afghanistan, of wounds sustained when his vehicle encountered an improvised explosive device and small-arms fire. Also killed were Spc. Anthony L. Mangano, Sgt. Nelson D. Ramirez Rodriguez and Sgt. Andrew Seabrooks.
HE WAS A WONDERFUL MAN....NEVER COMPLAINED
A Rockville soldier was one of four killed in Afghanistan when their vehicle hit a roadside bomb, Pentagon officials said.
Forty-one-year-old Lt. Col. James J. Walton was assigned to a Military Transition Team, 1st Brigade, 1st Infantry Division based in Fort Riley, Kan. He died Saturday when a roadside bomb hit a coalition convoy in Kandahar, the Defense Department said.
Walton joined the Army in 1989, and this was his second deployment in the war on global terror, a Fort Riley spokeswoman said.
Joseph Moschler of Midlothian, Va., said Walton was married to his daughter, Sarah Walton of Arlington, Va. He said the couple last saw each other in December 2007 before Walton’s deployment.
“We’re still trying to deal with it,” Moschler said in a phone interview.
“He was a wonderful man, a real professional soldier and he was doing what he wanted to do,” Moschler said. “He was a graduate of West Point, he had 20 years of service, and he felt a real call to serve his government and his country — and he did it and never complained.”
HE WAS A WONDERFUL MAN....NEVER COMPLAINED
A Rockville soldier was one of four killed in Afghanistan when their vehicle hit a roadside bomb, Pentagon officials said.
Forty-one-year-old Lt. Col. James J. Walton was assigned to a Military Transition Team, 1st Brigade, 1st Infantry Division based in Fort Riley, Kan. He died Saturday when a roadside bomb hit a coalition convoy in Kandahar, the Defense Department said.
Walton joined the Army in 1989, and this was his second deployment in the war on global terror, a Fort Riley spokeswoman said.
Joseph Moschler of Midlothian, Va., said Walton was married to his daughter, Sarah Walton of Arlington, Va. He said the couple last saw each other in December 2007 before Walton’s deployment.
“We’re still trying to deal with it,” Moschler said in a phone interview.
“He was a wonderful man, a real professional soldier and he was doing what he wanted to do,” Moschler said. “He was a graduate of West Point, he had 20 years of service, and he felt a real call to serve his government and his country — and he did it and never complained.”
Sunday, March 16, 2008
Maryland's Seventy-Nineth Hero
Army Staff Sgt. Collin J. Bowen, 38, of Millersville, Md., died March 14 at Brooke Army Medical Center, San Antonio, Texas, of wounds suffered Jan. 2 in Khowst Province, Afghanistan, when his vehicle encountered an improvised explosive device. He was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 175th Infantry Regiment, Maryland Army National Guard, Towson, Md.
HE GAVE HIS LIFE FOR HIS COUNTRY
Staff Sergeant Collin Bowen was severely injured in early January. He died Friday at a Texas military hospital. Pictures on his website show what's most important to Staff Sergeant Bowen - his country and his family.
"Staff Sgt. Bowen was really the type of soldier who went above and beyond his call of duty," said Major Kristine Henry, a spokesman for the Maryland National Guard.
It was during the final weeks of his year-long tour in Afghanistan when an improvised explosive device, or IED, hit his convoy. Three of his comrades were killed, but Sergeant Bowen has been fighting for his life ever since the January 2nd attack. The Department of Defense says the Perry Hall resident died March 14, 2008, at Brooke Army Medical Center in San Antonio, Texas. His wife and three children were by his side.
"Staff Sgt. Bowen's family really was with him throughout this whole thing, as he's been fighting for his life they've been with him down in Texas," said Major Henry.
Staff Sergeant Bowen was based at the Maryland National Guard in Towson, but support has come from across the country. A family member created the website collinbowen.com. There are over 900 postings, thanking the staff sergeant for his sacrifice, remembering how great a guy he was, and the "amazing fight that was an inspiration to us all."
"He gave his life for his country, and that's how he should be remembered," said Major Henry.
HE GAVE HIS LIFE FOR HIS COUNTRY
Staff Sergeant Collin Bowen was severely injured in early January. He died Friday at a Texas military hospital. Pictures on his website show what's most important to Staff Sergeant Bowen - his country and his family.
"Staff Sgt. Bowen was really the type of soldier who went above and beyond his call of duty," said Major Kristine Henry, a spokesman for the Maryland National Guard.
It was during the final weeks of his year-long tour in Afghanistan when an improvised explosive device, or IED, hit his convoy. Three of his comrades were killed, but Sergeant Bowen has been fighting for his life ever since the January 2nd attack. The Department of Defense says the Perry Hall resident died March 14, 2008, at Brooke Army Medical Center in San Antonio, Texas. His wife and three children were by his side.
"Staff Sgt. Bowen's family really was with him throughout this whole thing, as he's been fighting for his life they've been with him down in Texas," said Major Henry.
Staff Sergeant Bowen was based at the Maryland National Guard in Towson, but support has come from across the country. A family member created the website collinbowen.com. There are over 900 postings, thanking the staff sergeant for his sacrifice, remembering how great a guy he was, and the "amazing fight that was an inspiration to us all."
"He gave his life for his country, and that's how he should be remembered," said Major Henry.
Saturday, February 23, 2008
Maryland's Seventy-Eighth Hero
Army Spc. Micheal B. Matlock, Jr., 21, of Glen Burnie, Md. died Feb. 20 in Baghdad, Iraq, from wounds suffered when his vehicle encountered an improvised explosive device in Baghdad on Feb. 19. He was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 502nd Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault), Fort Campbell, Ky. Killed along with Spc. Matlock were: Sgt. Conrad Alvarez, 22, of Big Spring, Texas, and Cpl. Albert Bitton, 20, of Chicago.
HE WAS A HAPPY AND RESPONSIBLE MAN
A Glen Burnie soldier was one of three men killed in Iraq this week after their vehicle hit a roadside bomb, the Pentagon said Friday.
Spc. Micheal B. Matlock Jr., 21, an infantryman with the 101st Airborne Division, died Wednesday from wounds suffered when their vehicle hit an improvised explosive device in Baghdad, where the soldiers were responsible for security.
Matlock was raised by his mother, Sheena Douglas, and his stepfather, Ronald Douglas, in Glen Burnie. His biological father, Micheal Matlock Sr., lives in North Carolina.
A year ago, Matlock married Breon Summers, his high-school sweetheart. The couple have one child, Byron, 1. Family members reached Friday night declined to comment.
Neighbors in the Cohansey Court townhouse community where Matlock grew up described him as a happy and responsible child, who often helped his stepfather with landscaping jobs he did on the side for elderly neighbors. Matlock also loved to play basketball.
"My heart goes out to Ron," said Kelly Gross, who is close to Matlock's stepfather. "He loved that boy, he loved him. Words cannot say the devastation, the devastation."
Gross last saw Matlock about two weeks ago, when he came home for a visit. Matlock, he said, was in good spirits, and planning for his future: he even bought a gray Ford Explorer.
"It's not fair, it's really not fair," Gross said. "I'll be so glad when this war in Iraq is over."
HE WAS A HAPPY AND RESPONSIBLE MAN
A Glen Burnie soldier was one of three men killed in Iraq this week after their vehicle hit a roadside bomb, the Pentagon said Friday.
Spc. Micheal B. Matlock Jr., 21, an infantryman with the 101st Airborne Division, died Wednesday from wounds suffered when their vehicle hit an improvised explosive device in Baghdad, where the soldiers were responsible for security.
Matlock was raised by his mother, Sheena Douglas, and his stepfather, Ronald Douglas, in Glen Burnie. His biological father, Micheal Matlock Sr., lives in North Carolina.
A year ago, Matlock married Breon Summers, his high-school sweetheart. The couple have one child, Byron, 1. Family members reached Friday night declined to comment.
Neighbors in the Cohansey Court townhouse community where Matlock grew up described him as a happy and responsible child, who often helped his stepfather with landscaping jobs he did on the side for elderly neighbors. Matlock also loved to play basketball.
"My heart goes out to Ron," said Kelly Gross, who is close to Matlock's stepfather. "He loved that boy, he loved him. Words cannot say the devastation, the devastation."
Gross last saw Matlock about two weeks ago, when he came home for a visit. Matlock, he said, was in good spirits, and planning for his future: he even bought a gray Ford Explorer.
"It's not fair, it's really not fair," Gross said. "I'll be so glad when this war in Iraq is over."
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