Sgt. Lorenzo Ponce Ruiz ,

24th Trans. Co., 541st Maint. Bn., Oct. 12, 2005

Lorenzo Ponce Ruiz was a football playing kid out of El Paso who was serving his second tour in Iraq. A heavy equipment driver, he was in something a bit lighter - a Humvee - when it was struck by a civilian vehicle, killing him and his companion.

Liz Rodriguez, who met Ponce Ruiz when he was courting her friend during their years at Ysleta High in ElPaso, called him a "sweet guy." "He was just a real nice person," she said. "He was someone who would help anyone out if they needed his help."

Ponce Ruiz graduated from Ysleta High in 1997 and is the son of Carlos and Cruz Ponce. He enlisted in September 2001 and arrived at Fort Riley in March 2002.