Army Spc. Jeremy M. Heines
25, of New Orleans, Louisiana. He was assigned to Company C, 1st Battalion, 9th Cavalry Regiment, Fort Hood, Texas. Died on June 26, 2004.
Heines died in Baghdad, Iraq, when his patrol came under attack by rocket propelled grenades and small arms fire.
Jeremy wasn't my son, he was my friends son, but I was very close to him and always thought of him as the son I never had. He is missed everyday.
Jeremy Heines _ nicknamed "Ketchup" _ was known for going out of his way to cheer people up, whether it was sneaking food to Iraqi children or helping a friend through war-induced depression. "I never really saw him in a bad mood," said fellow soldier Dejuan Williams. "He always would put a smile on your face. You could be having your worst day, and he would just say, 'Look on the bright side' or make a joke, and you would be out of that bad mood in just a second." Williams was with Heines, 25, when he was killed by a rocket-propelled grenade that punched through the windshield of his military vehicle during a firefight on June 26. Heines' fellow soldiers characterized him as a perpetually upbeat guy who planned to come back home to New Orleans and open a bar and start a family. Heines met his wife, Kristine Hanks of Florida, at Fort Hood, Texas, before they both were deployed to Iraq. They celebrated their first anniversary in Baghdad. "He was the most outspoken guy I've ever met about loving his wife," Spc. Christopher Jesseman said.
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