Spc. Jason M. Morales wanted to follow the footsteps of his cousins and be a career soldier.

"He wanted to make a life for himself," his aunt, Cynthia Molina, said. "He was such an awesome kid. We lost a very good person in our life."

Morales, 20, La Puente, Calif., was killed April 18, 2007, of injuries sustained when his unit came in contact with enemy forces using small arms fire in Baghdad, Iraq. He was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 28th Infantry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division, Fort Riley.

Cynthia Molina described her nephew as a "loving and caring guy," who was an avid skateboarder, played the guitar and baseball, and was a huge fan of the rock band Metallica.

At Morales' memorial service at Fort Riley, Sgt. Eduardo Garza, 1st Battalion, 28th Infantry Regiment, spoke of Morales' enthusiasm for the military.

"He was a great soldier and a great friend," Garza said. "He was the kind of person that no matter how bad the day was he would just keep going, going and going."

The sentiment was the same on the legacy.com guest book web site.

"My blessing to the Morales family," said Jennifer Freed of Fort Riley. "My husband in D (Company) was a good friend of Jason. He will be awfully missed. Rita Deo, wife of Sgt. 1st Class Koger Deo, Fitchburg, Mass., wrote: "My husband was your son's platoon sergeant and your son served as my husband's gunner. My husband can only say great things about Spc. Morales."

Morales joined the Army in November of 2005. He was said to have excelled as an assistant gunner and as a gunner in Destroyer Company. He deployed with his unit to Iraq in early February of this year.

Awards and decorations include the Bronze Star Medal, and the Purple Heart.

Survivors include his father, Michael Morales; his mother, Laura Molina; a brother, Steven Morales; and a sister, Trisha Morales.