Staff Sgt. Joe Dunigan Jr., 1st Battalion, 16th Infantry, 1st Division, March 11, 2004

Joe L. Dunigan Jr. was a NASCAR fan who loved to laugh and was always the loudest voice in the room.

"He would have made an excellent drill instructor," said his stepfather, Sammie Bryant, a Vietnam veteran. "When he walked into a room, you could hear him above all the others." Dunigan , 37, of Belton, Texas, and Spc. Christopher Hill were killed March 11, 2004 when their vehicle hit a roadside bomb in Fallujah, Iraq. He was based at Fort Riley.

He was "happy, bubbly, infectious" and didn't like to be serious, said Dunigan 's mother, Dena Bryant.

"I don't think he ever met a stranger," said Sammie Bryant. "He lived his life the way he served his country: He was gung-ho about everything."

Dunigan was a fan of NASCAR driver Jeff Gordon, a trombonist and just someone who loved to laugh, said his cousin, Jeremy Rose. He grew up in Benton, Ky., and joined the Army after graduating from high school there.

Survivors also include his wife, Misty, and two children.