Alexander Varela was born Jan. 29th, 1988, in Roseville, CA, where he lived most of his life. While living with his father in Fernley, NV, he enlisted in the Army. He graduated basic training at Fort Benning, GA, Aug. 11, 2006, was assigned to Fort Hood, TX, and then deployed to Iraq at the end of October, 2006. He was killed in the Amariyah section of Baghdad when an IED blew up the tank he was driving, all aboard were killed.
Alex's favorite things to do were ride his quad in the Nevada desert, play paintball with his buddies and cousin in Folsom, Ca, play Halo on his X-Box 360 with guys at Camp Liberty, and photograph his brother Roger and skate buddies.
He was my baby and will be missed every day for the rest of my life.
Submitted by loving mother, Rinda Pope.

Marine Lance Cpl. Travis J. Layfield

19, of Fremont, Calif.; assigned to 2nd Battalion, 4th Marines, 1st Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Pendleton, Calif.; killed April 6 by hostile fire in Anbar province, Iraq.

Travis J. Layfield was a history buff who used to watch films on World War II on the History Channel as a boy. His grandfather was a Navy Seabee, which may have influenced his decision to join the Navy ROTC in high school. He enlisted in the Marine Corps right after high school graduation. Lance Cpl. Layfield, 19, of Fremont, Calif., was killed April 6 during a battle in Iraq’s Anbar province. He was based at Camp Pendleton, Calif. Layfield had been enthusiastic about going to Iraq. "He always said he was excited to go," said Layfield's cousin Ashley Mills, 19. "But you could see in his face he was a little scared ... He always assured us he was ready to go and that he would come back." "He thought this would be his career, the Marines," said his sister, Tiffany Hicks (Bolton), 31. "We were very proud of him." Other survivors include his parents, Diane Bolton Layfield and John Layfield.

Submitted by loving Mother Diane and sister Tiffany