Fallen Soldier: Thomas C. Rosenbaum

Army Sergeant Thomas Rosenbaum, 25, of Hope, Ark., was assigned to the 4th Battalion, 5th Air Defense Artillery Regiment, 1st Cavalry Division, Fort Hood, Tex., and had been in Iraq serving as a chemical specialist and training Iraqis in the use of firearms. He was killed Sept. 18, 2004, when an improvised explosive device hit his convoy vehicle in Baghdad.

SGT. Rosenbaum was known as a gregarious young man who joined the Army with a friend when he was a senior in high school in May 1997. The week he graduated, he turned 18 and left for basic training. After basic training he went to jump school and later became a Jump Master.

At his funeral, he was honored by U.S. Army Major General Kathy Frost for his service with the posthumous presentation of the Bronze Star and the Purple Heart.

“Chad, thank you for deciding the career path you did,” said former teammate, William Peterson. “Being the man, I got to see at his finest and know that your magic is carried on every day in Ty. You are missed and loved.”

He is survived by his son, Ty.