Army Spc. Robert T. Benson

Died November 04, 2003 serving during Operation Iraqi Freedom

20, of Spokane, Wash.; assigned to Company A, 1st Battalion, 35th Armored Regiment, 1st Armored Division, based in Smith Barracks, Germany; died Nov. 4 from a non-hostile gunshot wound in Baghdad.

Spc. Robert T. Benson enjoyed playing sports and spending time with his family. "He was a good man and an excellent soldier," said Sean Sorin, a fellow soldier who flew from Iraq for the funeral. "He will never be forgotten." Benson, 20, died Nov. 4 of a non-hostile gunshot wound sustained at a checkpoint in Iraq. He was based at Smith Barracks, Germany. He was born in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho, and attended schools in Spokane, Wash. Benson joined the Army in July 2001, shortly after graduating from high school. He married a high school classmate, Aimee Hiatt, last December. "I wish Bobby could have had children," his stepsister, Alexandra, said. "I wish he could have seen his brothers and sisters get married."

— Associated Press