Pfc. Cameron Payne had a simple reason for joining the military: to support his family.

"He did not join the Army to be G.I. Joe, he did not join the Army to be anyone's hero," said his mother, Denise Jackson. Payne, 22, was killed on June 11 by a roadside bomb in Baghdad. He leaves a wife, an 18-month-old daughter, Annaleese, 1, 4-week-old Kylee, whose birth he witnessed last month while home on leave in Corona, and a younger brother, Cody Gowens. His wife, Julie, 22, was his high school sweetheart.

"He was actually my secret admirer in high school," she said. He was "the funniest guy anyone could meet," she said.

Payne's mother said falling in love made him more responsible and goal-oriented. He married Julie in 2005 and enlisted in the Army that same year. He was sent to Iraq in February with the 2nd Battalion, 16th Infantry, 4th Infantry Combat Team of the 1st Infantry Divison,and re-enlisted in May.
Payne named his youngest daughter after Kyle Keesler, a close friend. The two last met at a party for Payne during his May leave.

"I'm just glad I got to say "I love you" before he left," Keesler said. "I plan to name my first child Cameron — girl or boy."

Cindy Driggs, a family friend, said Payne was "thoughtful and introspective," yet loved doing adventurous things such as jet skiing.

"He was a great father he loved to play with his daughter," said his wife. "If you meet him, you would never forget him, even if you met him once."