Sgt. Stephen P. Saxton

Stephen Patrick Saxton, a husband and father of three, couldn't wait for leave from Iraq to see his newborn daughter, family members say. "The last time I ever spoke to him, he was so excited about his baby girl," said his mother, Deborah. Saxton, 24, of Temecula, Calif., was killed May 3 when a bomb hit his vehicle in Baghdad. He was based at Fort Carson. Saxton was a student-athlete in high school who was equally drawn to the math team and the football team. He opted for the military in part to earn money for college. Saxton's mother said her son knew the dangers and talked about them with his wife, Maegan, before enlisting in October 2002. "He figured it was best for the family," she said. In addition to his wife, Saxton is survived by his wife, daughters Katelynn, 4, and Sierra Rose, 3 weeks, and his son Joseph, 2.