Army Staff Sergeant Aaron N. Holleyman, left, earned a Purple Heart and a Bronze Star during his first deployment to Iraq. He narrowly escaped death when the vehicle in which he was a passenger was hit by an IED. He ended up with busted eardrums, according to his father, Ross Holleyman, but was nonetheless eager to return to Alqaim for a second tour of duty. He was killed one month into his second deployment, and was posthumously awarded a second Purple Heart and a second Bronze Star.

A member of Army Special Forces, Aaron was proficient in Arabic and had been assigned to intercept insurgents, weapons, and money entering into Iraq from Syria. Says Ross, “As much as it hurts to lose my son, if it’s worth living doing the job, then it’s worth dying doing the job. We simply have to take a stand against tyranny and terrorism.”

• "Aaron was a very special soldier and a very special friend," said Capt. David Diamond, who served as Holleyman's A-team captain for nearly a year. "He will be missed but never forgotten." Diamond said while all the soldiers know the risks of serving in a combat zone, Holleyman's death will not be in vain because his commitment to his profession brought honor to himself and his "brothers." "He died for a cause and belief he's had all his life," Diamond said. The Tennessean, 9/11/04

• Ross Holleyman, a pastor and high school teacher, has spoken at many funerals. But, he said, it felt odd looking out over the congregation Tuesday. Staring back at him were his own relatives and friends. Holleyman took a deep breath and began to speak at the service for his son.... "I love Aaron, and I love the cause he supported," Ross Holleyman said to the more than 200 family, friends and servicemen at Trinity Baptist Church. "Sometimes we have to help others because they need it." Clarion- Ledger (Jackson, Miss.), 9/8/04