Soldiers filled the airfield's Fraise Chapel on Saturday morning to honor two comrades who "lived to serve others and were dedicated to the daily mission as if they were working for God himself," according to their battalion commander, Lt. Col. Paul Paolozzi. Texas native 1st Lt. Laura M. Walker, 24, and Sgt. Robert G. Davis, 23, of Jackson, Mo., were killed Thursday when a roadside bomb exploded under their Humvee near Delak, north of Kandahar. They were assigned to the Fort Lewis, Wash.-based 864th Engineer Combat Battalion (Heavy). During Saturday's memorial service, speakers told of how Walker and Davis shared a devotion to life and a dedication to taking care of the soldiers assigned to Task Force Pacemaker. Davis was "a humble man who valued the simple things in life," said Sgt. Wendy Diestra, who had served with Davis since basic training in 2001. "He had high hopes, faith and spirit." "He had a contagious good attitude about him," added Capt. Gregory Parranto. "He was the epitome of a self-made man," said Paolozzi later in the service, explaining that Davis had to raise himself when he turned 14, then enlisted in the Army and married his high school sweetheart, Amanda. Paolozzi, who was injured in the attack, spoke of Davis as an "aide, confidant, assistant and, routinely, a voice for the soldiers" who could be counted on to suggest ways to provide a little extra for task force soldiers, such as bringing snacks and cold drinks to the construction crews working on the 76-mile road. "Yet he never took credit for anything," Paolozzi said. Davis is survived by his wife and son, Brayden Noah Davis
Soldiers filled the airfield's Fraise Chapel on Saturday morning to honor two comrades who "lived to serve others and were dedicated to the daily mission as if they were working for God himself," according to their battalion commander, Lt. Col. Paul Paolozzi. Texas native 1st Lt. Laura M. Walker, 24, and Sgt. Robert G. Davis, 23, of Jackson, Mo., were killed Thursday when a roadside bomb exploded under their Humvee near Delak, north of Kandahar. They were assigned to the Fort Lewis, Wash.-based 864th Engineer Combat Battalion (Heavy). During Saturday's memorial service, speakers told of how Walker and Davis shared a devotion to life and a dedication to taking care of the soldiers assigned to Task Force Pacemaker. Davis was "a humble man who valued the simple things in life," said Sgt. Wendy Diestra, who had served with Davis since basic training in 2001. "He had high hopes, faith and spirit." "He had a contagious good attitude about him," added Capt. Gregory Parranto. "He was the epitome of a self-made man," said Paolozzi later in the service, explaining that Davis had to raise himself when he turned 14, then enlisted in the Army and married his high school sweetheart, Amanda. Paolozzi, who was injured in the attack, spoke of Davis as an "aide, confidant, assistant and, routinely, a voice for the soldiers" who could be counted on to suggest ways to provide a little extra for task force soldiers, such as bringing snacks and cold drinks to the construction crews working on the 76-mile road. "Yet he never took credit for anything," Paolozzi said. Davis is survived by his wife and son, Brayden Noah Davis
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