Fallen Soldier: Mark A. Lawton

Saff Sergeant Mark A. Lawton, 41, of Hayden, Colorado, was killed Aug. 29, 2003 when his convoy was hit by a rocket-propelled grenade north of Suaydat, Iraq. SSG Lawton was assigned to the 244th Engineer Battalion, U.S. Army Reserve, Grand Junction, Colorado.

SSG Lawton graduated from Moffat County High School in Craig, Colorado in 1982, where he was a star athlete. After high school, he joined the Marines and served 14 years including the first Gulf War.

A few years after he got out of the Marines, he decided he wanted to join the Army Reserve because he thought he could help out. His battalion had been clearing rubble, building playgrounds, and restoring irrigation in Iraq. The unit's primary mission was improving living conditions for 4th Infantry Division soldiers. SSGT Lawton had volunteered for duty in Iraq. His desire was that he could share his combat experience with younger, less experienced troops and make sure that each of his boys came home.

SSG Lawton is survived by his wife, Sherri, and sons, Dustin and Tanner.