Stafford, Va. Col. Paul M. Kelly, 45, of Stafford, Va., died in Baghdad, Iraq, on Jan. 20, 2007, when the UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter he was in crashed. Kelly was assigned to the Joint Force Headquarters of the Virginia Army National Guard in Blackstone, Va. Kelly was a mentor to many soldiers coming up through the ranks. He was nicknamed "the Senator" because he was always shaking soldiers' hands, no matter their rank. Sgt. 1st Class Arturo Robinson remembered how years ago, when he was getting into disciplinary trouble, Kelly called him into his office and told him to take a hard look at the way he was acting. It was the sort of command that officers give their soldiers all the time. But something about the way Kelly said it got through to him. "He saved my career," Robinson said. "I would walk behind him in any war, in any place." He is survived by his wife, Maria; and two sons, Paul, 9, and John, 5. In Kelly's funeral program, his eldest son wrote a message to his father. "Dear Dad," Paul wrote. "I just wanted to tell you I miss you a lot. I was looking forward to Play foot Ball with you. You're my Best friend and the Best Dad ever. We miss you. Love, Paul your son."