This is a Message Board Post that is gatewayed to this mailing list. Surnames: Adams Classification: Query Message Board URL: http://boards.ancestry.com/mbexec/msg/rw/CI.2ADEB/9275.1 Message Board Post: A real American Patriot. Never let his memory be tarnished. A man who knew the real meaning of patriotism. Sgt. 1st Class Brent A. Adams joined the National Guard so he could help people. The 40-year-old soldier from West View died Thursday in Iraq of injuries received when his vehicle was struck by a rocket in Ramadi, 70 miles west of Baghdad, the Department of Defense announced. Adams' death was among 14 announced by the military. A roadside bomb killed 10 Marines and wounded 11 others near Fallujah on Thursday, and three soldiers were killed Friday in a traffic accident south of Baghdad. "He was the type of guy who would give the shirt off his back to help people," Adams' wife, Marilyn, said last night. "I used to get mad at him because he knew there was not enough time to let everybody go home on leave and he used to say, 'I want all my troops to have a chance to go home before me.' " Adams joined the Army National Guard in 1987. He was assigned to the National Guard's 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 28th Infantry Division, based in Washington, Pa. However, he was assigned to the 2nd Marine Division when his vehicle was attacked. "He joined the National Guard to help people," Marilyn Adams said. Although the couple have a 4-year-old son, Daniel, she said her husband believed he had to go to Iraq with his unit. "He just thought it was his duty. He said, 'This is what I am called to do, and I'm going to do it.'" Brent Adams was born in Lancaster and attended Indiana University of Pennsylvania before moving to the Pittsburgh area for work. He was employed by Sprint. He was activated in January and spent six months in Camp Shelby, Miss., about 15 miles south of Hattiesburg. Adams came home for 10 days before flying to Iraq. His father, William Adams, and mother, Barbara Benard, live in the Lancaster area. His sister, Melissa Nalevanko, lives in York. Adams had a knack for bringing his wife peace of mind. "I could bounce anything off him. I would come home all frustrated from something and he would be able to make me see things in a different way, a better way. He would calm me down and keep me focused," Marilyn Adams said. She said her son will be hit hardest by Adams' death. "He was a really good father. There is no replacing the bond he had with his son. There is no way I can replace that. I can't fill the gap."