Joselito O Villanueva

Name: Army Sgt. 1st Class Joselito O. Villanueva

Age: 36

From: Los Angeles

Assigned to the 9th Engineer Battalion, 1st Infantry Division, Schweinfurt, Germany

Incident: Army Sgt. 1st Class Joselito O. Villanueva was killed Sept. 27 when a sniper shot him while he was at his observation post in Balad, Iraq.

Died: September 27, 2004

Joselito O. Villanueva's sunny personality quickly endeared "Sergeant V" to many of his fellow soldiers and their families. "Joe was a very sweet guy, and he had such a big heart," said Staff Sgt. Kenneth Robinson. "He was also sociable, and he loved hanging out at the Irish pub with all his friends. I don't think Joe realized how special he made people feel." Villanueva, 36, of Los Angeles, was killed Sept. 27 in an ambush in Balad, Iraq. The 11-year Army veteran was based in Germany. Villanueva earned a Purple Heart in April when a roadside bomb exploded next to his Humvee, killing one of his soldiers. A piece of shrapnel the size of a half dollar pierced his neck. He was a combat engineer who worked defusing explosives, setting up...