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US troops killed in Iraq and Kuwait

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By The Associated Press

Army Capt. Marcus R. Alford

Marcus Alford always wanted to fly helicopters and proudly wore his Junior ROTC uniform every Thursday, his chest covered with all the decorations he'd earned as battalion commander.

Friends and family remembered the military pilot as someone who could raise their spirits with a smile.

"He could be a handful, and sometimes you'd have to scold him - but you'd be covering your face to keep from laughing," said Missy Ballenger, who taught Alford in ninth grade.

The 28-year-old from Knoxville, Tenn., also had a voice that could be heard echoing through South-Doyle High School's hallways. He was well-known for his rendition of "Lean on Me" during the school talent show.

"He sang pretty much every chance he got," said friend D.J. Meltabarger.

Alford and another soldier died Feb. 21 in Qayyarah, Iraq, when the helicopter they were in made a hard landing, the military said. He graduated from Carson-Newman College and was assigned to Louisville, Tenn.

"All he ever wantedto do was be a soldier and a pilot," said Derick Bolin, who was Alford's roommate in college. "He was doing what he loved to do."

Alford even landed a helicopter on the high school's lawn for a visit to offer advice to younger cadets.

He is survived by his parents, two children and a host of other relatives.

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Army Pfc. Adriana Alvarez

Adriana "Dee" Alvarez loved photography, jammed to classic rock music and was chasing a career in criminal justice, and she saw the military as a path to her dreams.

She believed in selfless courage and "was the kind of daughter, sister and friend that makes us proud," said Gen. Russell Czerw, commanding general of Fort Sam Houston. He noted the 20-year-old was named an honorary police officer in her hometown of San Benito, Texas, after her death Feb. 10 in Baghdad.

The military police officer was found with a gunshot wound, and the Army was investigating her death, said her sister Alma, who spoke with Alvarez days before her death and had worried about her serving overseas.

"She knew there were risks," Alma Alvarez said. "She knew she had to do it for her country. She did what she had to do, and she was proud of it."

She had graduated from San Benito High School in 2008 and enlisted shortly thereafter. She was assigned to Joint Base Lewis-McChord.

Other survivors include her parents, Alicia and Gabriel; sisters Diana and Alice; and grandmother, Delia Briones.

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Navy Petty Officer 1st Class Sean L. Caughman

In one uniform, Sean Caughman was a Navy reservist who worked in a Seabee unit based in his hometown of Fort Worth, Texas. In another, he was an engineer aboard the starship Enterprise.

The longtime Star Trek fan was a wealth of trivia, known for donning a visor to dress up as Lt. Cmdr. Geordi La Forge - the character played by LaVar Burton - for plays and visits to children's hospitals.

He was involved in several groups of "Trekkies" but got even closer to the silver screen when his friendliness earned him a gig on a stunt crew for the 1999 film The Protector, said his longtime companion, Kelly Seaman.

"Once you became his friend, he would remember you," Seaman said. "You could call him at 2 a.m., and he would say, 'No, you didn't wake me up,' even though you probably did."

The 43-year-old died Feb. 16 of an apparent heart attack in Kuwait during his second tour of duty.

He was a 1983 graduate of Western Hills High School and earned an associate's degree from what's now Tarrant County College. He then earned a bachelor's degree in business from LeTourneau University in 2008.

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Army Chief Warrant Officer Billie Jean Grinder

The adventure of piloting a helicopter was perfect for Billie Jean Grinder, the somewhat tomboyish woman with a giant smile who loved to ride motorcycles, four-wheelers and dune buggies.

"She had tattoos and liked going fast and doing things that other people might see as dangerous," said Grinder's sister, Melissa Smith. "She had absolutely no fear."

Despite her toughness, Grinder also was remembered as a sweet, kind woman who was devoted to her 10-year-old twin stepdaughters, Megan and Makayla, and her husband, Sam, a fellow National Guard helicopter pilot.

"She loved, loved her 'family circle,' and she talked about those girls all the time. She thought of them as her own," said Brandi Banniza Gibson, a friend who attended Smyrna High School with Grinder.

The 25-year-old Tennessee National Guard pilot of Gallatin, Tenn., and another soldier were killed Feb. 21 when their helicopter made a hard landing in Qayyarah, Iraq. She was based in Louisville, Tenn.

Grinder's mother-in-law, National Guard Col. Bears Grinder, said the soldier adopted numerous stray cats and dogs because she couldn't stand to see them uncared for.

"She never met a stranger and always spread her sunshine all around her," the colonel said.

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Army Cpl. Daniel T. O'Leary

Daniel O'Leary enjoyed inventing things and wanted to become an electrical engineer one day, his father said.

"His big thing was energy efficiency," Tod O'Leary said of his son. His knack for creating and inventing began when he was a child playing soldier outside.

"If he didn't have a plastic gun, he made one out of a stick," Tod O'Leary said. His son was a prankster who also was athletic, playing soccer and wrestling - "but, most of all, he made people feel special."

Daniel O'Leary, 23, of Youngsville, N.C., died Feb. 23 in Fallujah, Iraq, after the vehicle he was driving rolled over. It was his second tour of duty in Iraq. He was assigned to Fort Bragg and had graduated from South Granville High School.

He and his wife, Nikita Abeyta, had been married for less than a year.

Tod O'Leary said he loved having his son at nearby Fort Bragg - and the frequent visits from a horde of hungry soldiers.

"There would be 10 or 15 of them raiding our refrigerator," Tod O'Leary said.

Daniel O'Leary also is survived by his mother, Virginia.

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