Staff Sgt. Brian L. Morris

Brian L. Morris got a lot more than poultry when he took a job at a KFC restaurant. It was there that he met his wife. "He got a job there and I got a job there and the rest is history," Lori Morris said with a chuckle. "It's not one of those romantic places, but we've got our KFC story." Morris, 38, of Centreville, Mich., died Aug. 21 when his vehicle rolled over in Mosul. Morris joined the Army after graduating from high school in 1985, where he was a star cross-country runner. When he returned years later to speak to students, he had transformed from athlete to military man, said Coral Fry, Morris' former English teacher. Fry remembered Morris as "one of the nicest, most gentlemanly students" she ever had. A bout with testicular cancer forced Morris into temporary retirement from the Army in 1989. He re-enlisted and served in Bosnia, Afghanistan, Germany and South Korea. He also is survived by a 5-year-old daughter, Emilee. "She was daddy's girl," Lori Morris said. "She is daddy's girl. We're so proud of him. He worked so hard."