Bio: Everything Calderon did, he did with his family in mind. From the book of poetry he made for his mother in middle school to his decision to join the Army while a senior at Miami Southridge High, he wanted to be there for others. Calderon's enlistment came as a surprise to his family, but he told them the free education could help him be a better provider, older sister Jenny Rauda said. He married a fellow recruit. The couple had twin boys before Calderon's Nov. 2006 deployment. He was killed by an improvised explosive in Misiab five months later.

Bio: The mother of three was assigned to a postal platoon in Baghdad and was within two days of starting her return journey home to the U.S. for a reunion with her husband and kids when she was killed. She was a civilian worker in the Army and an Army reservist who moved to South Florida in 2005. She had an infectious smile and a love for music, dancing performing arts and people. She was killed when her base was attacked by rockets.

Bio: On the day he turned 18, the Carol City High School graduate was off to boot camp, fulfilling a lifelong goal of serving his country. A teller of hilarious jokes as an adolescent, he was more serious as an adult, family members say, always there for his family. The 19-year veteran was killed when his unit was attacked by insurgents using small arms fire in Baloor.

Bio: Ewing's biggest dream was to buy his parents a house, relatives said. Even as a youngster, Ewing was good with electronics and could fix many things, his mother recalled. The Miami Central High School graduate wanted to go to college and to have his own business. At one point he was within days of coming home from Iraq, but his tour of duty extended. Ewing was among eight soldiers on foot patrol in Baghdad killed by a suicide car bomber.

Bio: Ferrero celebrated an early Thanksgiving with his family and had been in Iraq only four days before his death by a homemade bomb in Baqubah. Army officials told Ferro's family he died while giving toys to children in a playground. Two other soldiers were also killed and according to the Associated Press so were at least three children. As a teen, the Coral Park Senior High graduate took an interest in the military, joining the Civil Air Patrol and in 2007, joined the Army.

Bio: Gonzalez escaped Cuba on a raft with his father and brother as a teenager in 1995 with hopes of becoming a firefighter and a U.S. citizen. The three-year Marine's wife was pregnant with their daughter when he died after a refueling tanker he was repairing collapsed in southern Iraq. He was awarded his American Citizenship posthumously.