U.S. Army Spc. Robert J. Dixon knew the dangers of being a cavalry scout and had talked with his wife on what to do in the event he was wounded or killed.

His wife, Rusty Marie Rose-Dixon, received a text message shortly before he went on patrol duty in Baghdad, Iraq. She said she will save that message because it was the last one he sent prior to going on he patrol that resulted in his death May 6, 2007, when a roadside bomb exploded near the vehicle he was aboard.

Dixon, 27, Minneapolis, Minn., was assigned to 1st Squadron, 4th Cavalry Regiment, 4th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division, Fort Riley.

Robert J. Dixon

"He was such a nice guy, but he drove people, just by his charm," Rose-Dixon told KSTP-TV in Minneapolis. "He was so charming."

Dixon was born in Portland, Ore., and moved to Gladwin, Minn., in 1992, said Irene Dixon. She and her husband, Daniel, were Dixon's legal guardians.

During his high school years, he was a running back on the football team, a member of the wrestling team, and set a school record in the 100-meter dash.

"If you ever knew Bobby, you'd love him," Irene Dixon told the Associated Press. "Every time we got a report from a teacher it couldn't have been any better. We got a call from a commander who said everybody there (Iraq) loved him."

After high school graduation, he attended Olivet College for a year and later enrolled at Northwood University, in Midland, Minn.

"He wanted to further his education, and he always had a desire to be in the Army," Irene Dixon said. "He had planned to make it his career."

Dixon also had a love of outdoor sports. He enjoyed paintball, snowboarding, hunting, snowmobiling and camping.

Irene Dixon said she had heard from her son the previous Friday when he called to offer condolences after the passing of her uncle.

At a memorial service held at Fort Riley on May 10, Capt. Thomas Laybourn, 1st Sqaudron, 4th Cavalry Regiment, remembered Dixon as a honest, dependable soldier.

"He was a man who stood firmly for what he believed and was never afraid to look a man in the eye and tell them he was pulling stupid right out of the air," Laybourn said. "I knew he was watching my back when I was on the ground. I always knew he was going to do the right thing."

Dixon joined the Army on July 21, 2005, and after completing basic training was assigned to the Company G Training Group, 5th Squadron, 15th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Armor Training Brigade, Fort Knox, Ky., where he was trained as a cavalry scout.

On Jan, 18, 2006, he was assigned to Alpha Troop, 1st Battalion, 4th Cavalry Regiment, Fort Riley, as a scout javelin gunner. He participated in numerous training sessions at Smoky Hills Gunnery Tables, Salina, and served a rotation to the National Training Center in preparation for his unit's deployment in early February.

Awards and decorations include the Bronze Star Medal, the Purple Heart Medal, the Iraq Campaign Medal, the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal and the Combat Action Badge.

He is also survived by two sons, Michael Andrew Rice and Logan Anthony Valerius.