Spc. Colby Farnan , 4th Battalion,

1st Field Artillery, Feb. 25, 2005

When an improvised explosive device killed Spc. Colby Farnan , Patrick Farnan lost both a son and a hero.

Farnan , principal of an elementary school in Weston, Mo., made that clear in remarks during a Veterans Day celebration in 2003. Colby Farnan had not yet gone to Iraq at that time. "There's a lot of heroes sitting around ... our community and our schools," he said. "And my son for me, he can be my hero and my son."

The soldier died Feb. 25, 2005, when an improved explosive hit him while on foot patrol. The incident occurred in Taji, a town outside Baghdad. Two other soldiers died in the attack.

Colby Farnan was an athlete in school at Weston, playing with the baseball and basketball teams. Following his death, members of the community of 1,500 set up a roadwide memorial containing various signs, pictures and mementos.