
The Army was a family tradition for Sgt. Nathaniel Hart Jr., whose father and grandfather both served, but his loved ones remember him as much more than a soldier. To them, Hart was a family man who loved to take his two sons fishing and camping. He was a devout Christian who served as a youth pastor, sang in the choir and played drums in the church band.
“I believe he was as big a hero in life as he is in death,” said Hart’s sister, Valarie Lowry. “He was a good example for everybody. His love and kindness were what he was known for. He was sweet in spirit.”
Lowry said her brother’s wife, Erica, was in shock over his death and the realization that she would be raising their sons, 7-year-old Nathaniel III and 5-year-old Gabriel, without him. “He had a big...