Infantry: Army National Guard's 1st Battalion, 111th Infantry Regiment (Mechanized)

Died: Aug. 6, 2005 near Balad, Iraq, age 25

Brahim Jeffcoat was raised in a deeply spiritual family with a deep commitment to public service. His grandmother Amatullah raised her children to fight racial injustice in America, be the victims African-American, Jewish or Islamic. His aunt Desiree served in the U.S. Navy and as a local police officer, and his mother Julia has worked as a nurse and an advocate for impoverished Philadelphians.

So, it wasn't a surprise when Brahim, a George Washington High graduate who went to the Community College of Philadelphia and then Temple University for business administration, enlisted in the National Guard.

"He loved his country," says Julia. "He was proud to be an American soldier."

When the War on Terror broke out, Brahim was stationed in Germany. At some point in late 2003, he went to Samarra, Iraq. The family doesn't know exactly when because he hid it from them, claiming he was still in Germany. Later, he admitted he lied to keep them from worrying.

One night, Brahim's little sister, Mecca, had a nightmare in which Brahim's cousin, Malik, who was murdered in West Philadelphia earlier this year, was wearing one of the silk shirts Brahim brought home on leave. The shirt was monogrammed "BR." The apparition told her someone was about to die.

A few days later, the Jeffcoats received terrible news: While convoying near the town of Balad, Brahim's Humvee struck an Improvised Explosive Device (IED).

When the vehicle flipped over, Brahim was pinned, his pelvis crushed. He still pulled the remainder of his men out. It is the family's understanding that Brahim lived for an hour longer, so they still harbor questions about his specific cause of death.

Was It Worth It?

"So many soldiers are being slaughtered for the price of oil," says Julia. "As an American, and because I do love God and mankind, and I am proud of our troops, I believe no one should have the right to exploit the soldiers like this. … If you believe in justice, you can't support this war.

"Every time you go to that gas pump, you need to think about those 1,900 men who've died over there for that gas. You shouldn't be crying about high gas prices, you should be crying for those young men who lost their lives."