Army Spc. Matthew T. Morris

Died April 06, 2008 serving during Operation Iraqi Freedom

23, of Cedar Park, Texas; assigned to the 2nd Squadron, 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment, Fort Hood, Texas; died April 6 in Balad, Iraq, when his vehicle encountered an improvised explosive device. Also killed was Capt. Ulises Burgos-Cruz.

Army Spc. Matthew T. Morris remembered

The Associated Press

Matthew T. Morris’ father also was an Army man — a Vietnam war veteran. He said his son thought that serving in the military would make his parents proud.

“He was a very creative kid, and when he wasn’t in a challenging environment, he tried to make life interesting,” Glenn Morris said. “He excelled in a military school structure and in a team environment.”

Morris, 23, of Cedar Park, Texas, was killed April 6 by a roadside bomb in Balad. He was assigned to Fort Hood.

Before enlisting in the Army in 2005, Morris attended the Fishburne Military School in Waynesboro, Va., for more than a year.

There, he met a history teacher who inspired him to want to become an educator.

“After his service, he wanted to go back to school and get a four-year degree to become a teacher,” said his mother, Lisa. “He wanted to make a difference and give back to the community.”

Morris had a passion for motorcycles and was proud to wear his uniform. “He walked taller in it, and you could see the pride he had in his service even when he was in a T-shirt and shorts,” said his mother.