Spc. Michael J. Anaya was proud to be in service to the nation.

Soldier's 'life was meant for' service
Schofield-based man from Florida killed by roadside bomb in Iraq
A Salute to the Fallen
By William Cole
Advertiser Military Writer

It's pretty clear from his MySpace page that Schofield Barracks soldier Spc. Michael J. Anaya was proud to be in service to the nation.

There's a reference to the 9/11 terrorist attacks, a prayer entitled "God Bless Our Military" and a poster that reads "Support Those Supporting America," with a picture of four soldiers on patrol in the desert and an M1A1 Abrams main battle tank behind them.

The Pentagon yesterday said Anaya, 23, of Crestview, Fla., who joined the Army in 2006 and was assigned to Hawai'i in January 2008, died Sunday in Bayji, northwest of Baghdad, when an improvised explosive device detonated near his vehicle.

He was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 27th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division.

Col. Walter Piatt and the 3rd Brigade of about 3,500 Schofield soldiers took over security responsibility in Salah ad Din province on Nov. 22. The soldiers are expected to be in Iraq for a year.

Anaya's family told the Northwest Florida Daily News that the truck he was driving ran over a roadside bomb. There was no word on whether others were injured.
go here for more
Soldier's 'life was meant for' service