Instead, the father made plans for a memorial service. Anthony Mazzarella , 22, of Blue Springs, Mo., was killed July 5, 2005, in Taji when his vehicle accidentally rolled over. He was based at Fort Riley.
In high school, Mazzarella had been in Junior ROTC as a freshman, then delivered pizzas and played guitar with a small band.
"He was a real sociable person," Michael Mazzarella said. " Anthony had a joy for life. He did what he wanted to do."
Fellow soldiers remembered that same attitude. "His morale was so high he took the situation whatever it might be and lightened it," Spc. David Kersey, Mazzarella 's brother-in-law, told participants at a memorial service. "He never failed to make me laugh."
Mazzarella graduated high school in 2001 and decided to enlist two years ago.
"After the invasion into Iraq he talked about going into the Army ... seeing the world ... driving a tank," his father said. "I felt a sense of pride when he told me."
