A high school teacher of Darrell L. Fernandez's said the young man didn't demand the spotlight.
"He's just a rock solid person," said Harry Nordgren. "You knew he was going to have his work done. When we had debates in class, you knew he was going to defend that position eloquently."

Fernandez, 25, of Truth or Consequences, N.M., died Jan. 31 in Kirkuk after a vehicle accident.
He was assigned to Fort Carson. Fernandez was serving his second tour of duty in Iraq since joining the Army in July 2002.
He previously served there from March 2005 to February 2006.

Teacher Harry Nordgren, who taught American history to Fernandez, said, "A lot of Americans have a tendency to think that this generation can't be a great generation. Darrell's sacrifice put the lie to that concept."

Fernandez was on his third tour of duty in Iraq. His grandmother, Ida Hamilton, said Fernandez had been injured by shrapnel on his second tour of Iraq in 2006, and fought to recover so he could return to Iraq. "It's been real rough for all of us," she said. He also is survived by his wife, Katrina.