Spc. Joseph Lister , 1st Battalion, 34th Armor, 1st Infantry Div., Nov. 20, 2003

At 22, it seemed Joseph L. Lister had finally found his way. He had a wife and an infant son, and those who knew him said he'd become more mature and confident and was proud of his military service.

"Everything was really clicking for him," said the Rev. Jim Landrum, pastor at the church where Lister was baptized in 1999. Lister , of Pleasanton, Kan., died Nov. 20, 2003 in Ar Ramadi, Iraq, when the convoy in which he was traveling was hit by a homemade bomb.

Lister could be headstrong as a teenager, Landrum said, but the Army helped give him direction.

"He seemed like a lost kid, and the military is a family, and you are well taken care of in the military," said John Heidrick, who taught Lister in high school.

Lister was deeply religious and had a large tattoo of a cross on his back, Landrum said. "Joe had such a strong faith, he had no question about where he would spend eternity," he said.

Lister sang in both the church and school choirs. "He didn't have a great voice or anything, but he had a lot of enthusiasm," Heidrick said.

In high school, he'd talk about becoming a history or special education teacher. Heidrick said he was surprised by Lister 's decision to enter the Army.