Capt. Stephen W. Frank

As a 6-year-old, Stephen Frank was photographed in fatigues and black combat makeup with a toy gun and binoculars. When he was a little older, he was pictured in a local newspaper playing soldier with a friend. "When he was very young, he told me, ''Dad, if a person doesn''t have anything they believe in enough to die for, then what do they have?''," Bill Frank said. Stephen Frank, 29, of Haslett, Mich., was killed April 29 when an explosive was set off inside a truck he was inspecting in Diyarah, south of Baghdad. He was based at Fort Irwin. He is survived by his wife, Laurel Hayes, and their 2-year-old son, Alex. Growing up with three sisters, Frank developed a love of reading, always carrying a book in his pocket. He formed a Young Republicans club in high school, wrestled and played saxophone. When it was time to apply to colleges, he sent only one application, to West Point. The avid hunter and fisher graduated with a geography degree. "He had a sense of humor, but he was a serious guy, too," his father said. "He was a people person. He had good leadership skills."