Marine Sgt. Harvey E. Parkerson III

Died August 18, 2004 Serving During Operation Iraqi Freedom

27, of Yuba City, Calif.; assigned to Battalion Landing Team 1/4 (1st Battalion, 4th Marine Regiment), 11th Marine Expeditionary Unit (Special Operations Capable), Camp Pendleton, Calif.; killed Aug. 18 by enemy action in Anbar province, Iraq.

Amanda Parkerson easily remembers the day she met her soon-to-be husband, Harvey E. Parkerson III. It was at the beach and she drew him out of his shell. "I thought he was great," she said. "Everybody said he was very quiet, but when we met he kept talking and talking and talking. He was quiet but anything he said had meaning behind it." They were married four months later. Parkerson, 27, of Yuba City, Calif., was shot and killed Aug. 18 near Najaf, Iraq. He was stationed at Camp Pendleton, Calif. Parkerson was a good student and high school wrestler who always planned to be a Marine. "He thought it an honorable thing to do," said his principal Dan Raner. Parkerson and his younger brother, Bennie, joined the Marines together and went to boot camp together. Bennie left the service after four years, but Harvey stayed. He joined up in 1999 and re-enlisted in 2003. Parkerson is also survived by an infant son he had with Amanda and a 7-year-old son from a previous relationship.

— Associated Press