Army Sgt. Robert B. Thrasher

Died February 11, 2007 serving during Operation Iraqi Freedom

23, of Folsom, Calif., assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 12th Cavalry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division, Fort Bliss, Texas; died Feb. 11 in Baghdad of wounds suffered when his unit came in contact with the enemy using small arms fire during combat patrol.

Army sergeant killed in Iraq hoped to see the world

The Associated Press

FOLSOM, Calif. — Army Sgt. Robert Thrasher joined the military so he could see the world, learn about other cultures and earn money to attend college.

The 23-year-old was enthralled by the centuries-old architecture he saw while stationed in Europe, said his grandmother, Elsie Pfister of Orangevale. He had little other opportunity to explore, however, after a 13-month tour of Iraq and a second deployment just before Christmas.

Thrasher, who served with the Army’s 1st Calvary Division, was killed by a sniper Feb. 11 while on patrol in a neighborhood north of Baghdad, the Department of Defense said.

His family said Thrasher knew the danger and told them before setting off for a second time that he understood he might not come back.

“He told everyone that if he came back, it would be great. But if not, that would be OK, too,” Pfister said.

Thrasher joined the Army after graduating from Folsom High School in 2002. He and his high school sweetheart, Christine — a soldier stationed in Texas — had been married for four years.

Pfister said her grandson was a dedicated soldier who loved hunting, video games and family trips to Canada. Funeral arrangements were pending.