Sgt. 1st Class Todd C. Gibbs. DOB: Sep. 9, 1967. Killed: Dec. 7, 2004 in Khalidiyah, Iraq. I am Todd's brother, Bret Gibbs. What I loved most about my brother was his kindness and compassion to others. Todd was a great friend to all of those who knew him. Just ask his friend Bobby who told me of the time that Todd drove from Alabama to Texas to attend his wedding. Like most of our men and women in uniform, Todd probably didn’t have a bunch of extra money to make that kind of trip. He knew what it meant to Bobby for him to there for his wedding. For Todd, it was really no effort to be there for him. That’s the kind of friend that Todd was. Just ask his friend Will who was one of many who called Todd his “best friend”. I remember visiting Will’s folks one time and his mom bringing us some freshly brewed sweet ice tea. The sweet part was just a bit of a problem though since his mom had accidentally substituted salt for sugar. Being the polite guy that Todd always was, he choked down several sips of that tea so he wouldn’t offend Will’s mom. I think Todd and Will got along so great because Todd was one of the only guys in this world who understood and didn’t try to change his ways. Todd always accepted people as-is without ever trying to change them into something they weren’t. That was just the kind of guy my brother was. Then there is my brother’s friend, Kelly Houts. Kelly had been working in Lufkin after high school and was not headed in any particular direction. Todd decided one day that Kelly was way too smart and needed to be doing something different. I remember getting the call from Todd when he was working on a way to get Kelly into college. He pretty much took Kelly under his wing and lifted him up as he pursued his college degree. Todd gave him a place to stay and shared what little he had to help Kelly complete his degree. When Kelly graduated several years later, he composed what I consider the best thank you note ever written. Kelly wrote: “..I would like to mention the man who helped me more than anyone else on this planet did. Todd Gibbs, the best friend any man could have on this Earth. It was Todd who pulled me out of the pit I was in a few years back. It was Todd who convinced me to get back on the path from which I had strayed. Without his assistance, I would not be here today, degree in hand. I owe the man more than I can ever pay back in this lifetime, but that doesn’t mean I won’t try”. Kelly later told me that Todd was the best man he ever knew. Kelly, as far as paying Todd back, your success in life will be all the payback he would ever ask for. Todd was like the rest of us and made his share of mistakes. But the lives he touched on this Earth will leave a legacy that we could all hope to achieve one day. God Bless you Todd and you will never be forgotten.

My son, Sgt Ryan Montgomery Campbell, was born November 7, 1978, in Enterprise, Alabama, the son of an Army helicopter pilot. Ryan grew up in California and Missouri, "making do" with few material possessions. He went on to graduate from college and planned to attend graduate school. He was killed in action in Iraq April 29, 2004 after being in country for 13 months. What I loved most about my son was his ability to get along with most anyone and his special affection for children, especially those who go without. He had wanted to make a difference in the lives of the children in Iraq.