After checking a suspicious house for insurgents, Lance Corporal Karl Linn, 20, was killed when rebel forces ambushed his convoy in the Anbar province of Iraq. Seeking a degree in mechanical engineering, his parents were “surprised when he wanted to join the Marines,” says his father, Richard, but were very proud and supported his decision. Described as a “quiet kid” by his father, he excelled at his job in the Marines. Although “he was so proud to get his experts badge, he gave all the credit to [his father].” Replacing an AWOL soldier, he quickly fit right in and “everyone considered him to be their weapons expert even though he was the new kid on the block.”

• In an e-mail sent to friends after his son's death, Richard Linn wrote: "My heart is broken over the loss of my son Karl and his fellow Marines, and I am very concerned about the injured and those still in danger. It must take tremendous strength to carry on under the circumstances. I can't adequately express what I feel, nor the appreciation I have for the sacrifices they are making." Richmond (Va.) Times Dispatch, 2/3/05