Army Sergeant Wayne Richard Cornell, 26, of Holstein, Nebraska, was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 28th Infantry Regiment, 4th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division, Fort Riley, Kansas. He died on March 20th, 2007, in Baghdad, when an improvised explosive device detonated near his vehicle during combat operations.

Shortly after graduation from Silver Lake High School in Roseland in 1999, SGT Cornell enlisted in the National Guard, where he was a member of Troop A 167th Calvary of the Nebraska National Guard. He was in that role for four years before joining the Army in 2005 at Fort Riley, Kansas.
In civilian life, SGT Cornell participated in Hapkido and was a 3rd Degree Black Belt Tae Kwon Do. He was a volunteer fireman EMT in Holstein and V.F.W. in Grand Island. At one time, he was also a member of the Hastings Police Department Explorers.

SGT Cornell was a "good soldier, a good leader, a quiet professional who didn't beat his chest but did his job," said SFC James Gallegos. "He was a good family man. Most important to him were his wife and kids."

He was survived by his wife and 3 children.