Edward Matthew Saltz, who went by Matthew, was the first Montana soldier to die in the Iraq war.  Captain Saltz, 27, was killed when an improvised explosive device detonated near his Humvee in Baghdad on December 22nd, 2003.  Another soldier who served with Saltz in the 1st Armored Division, plus an Iraqi translator were also killed, and two other soldiers were wounded.

Saltz was in the 2nd Battalion, 3rd Field Artillery Regiment, 1st Armored Division, U.S. Army Reserve, based in Giessen, Germany. He was promoted to captain posthumously.

His mother, Cathy Saltz, said her son planned on making a career in the military. Matt was interested in military intelligence.  He graduated with honors from Montana State University where he was a cadet commander of his ROTC group.

Matt’s parents, Cathy and Richard, said they are very proud of their son’s service.  “We agreed with the war from the very beginning,” said Cathy.  “My husband is a Vietnam veteran.  There was no question about it in our minds. We want to see it to come to a good end.”

Cathy said Matt’s unit did a lot for the Iraqi people.  They worked with many of the leaders in Iraqi neighborhoods, clearing out garbage and working to rebuild about 18 schools. Through her loss, Cathy has reached out to other Montana families who have lost sons or daughters in Iraq and Afghanistan. She believes this is what Matt would have wanted her to do – to tell his story and help other parents cope.

“We live in this wonderful country and I don’t think we appreciate it like we need to and I encourage people all the time to think about that. We never raised Matt with any special emphasis on patriotism – we’re just a regular family and I think most of all these other families are too.”

• “If you're going to be a citizen of a country,” [Cathy Saltz] said, “there are certain responsibilities and duties you have to own up to. Duty is important.”
  
  The only end for Iraq, she said, “is for them to be a democratic people.” Anything less would be cheating Matt and all the others.
  
  “Matt was convinced of the importance of the work being done in Iraq,” Cathy said, and so are his parents. “He saw the terrific cost of a dictatorship,” she said. “He could imagine something better.” Read more from this article in the Missoulian, 3/19/06.

• Cathy and Richard Saltz have relied on their faith to cope with their loss. "We had so many people praying for us," she said. "And we received everything they prayed for -- comfort, joy, peace with the situation." Associated Press 5/31/04