Growing up in Bay Shore, N.Y., Pfc. Jacob S. Fletcher dreamed of serving his country. "He always wanted to be a soldier," said his former girlfriend, Kristi Ruppert. "He always had that kind of passion in him. And he wanted to be that kind of man."
The death of a friend in the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks sealed the decision. He enlisted in the Army, becoming one of the first soldiers to parachute into Iraq.
Fletcher, 28, died Nov. 13, 2003, when explosives struck a bus he was on in Iraq. He was based in Camp Ederle, Italy.
"He really believed he was making a difference in Iraq," said Jean DeBrant, a family friend. "He felt that he was helping the women and children and that meant very much to him. It sustained him."
He is survived by his mother, Dorine Kenney, and father, Marlowe Fletcher.
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