Evan A. Bixler slain by sniper

A soldier from Racine so determined to serve in the military that he persisted in his attempts to enlist after being denied entrance has become the fourth U.S. service member from Racine County to die in combat in Iraq.

Pvt. Evan Abraham Bixler, 21, is the third Wisconsin service member killed in Iraq this month.

"His recruiter remarked that he never saw anyone work so hard to enlist in the Army," his family said in a written statement issued late Tuesday.

Bixler died Sunday in Hit, Iraq, of wounds suffered during security operations, the U.S. Department of Defense said Tuesday. Bixler was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 6th Infantry, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division, Baumholder, Germany, the department said.

He is the 66th member of the armed forces from Wisconsin to be killed in the war.

Bixler was a 2003 graduate of Washington Park High School in Racine, said Linda Flashinski, a spokeswoman for the Racine Unified School District.

His family declined to comment when reached by telephone but in a written statement said Bixler had always wanted to serve in the armed forces.

According to his family, after high school Bixler was denied entry into the Army for medical reasons.

He initially accepted the Army's decision but in March requested that the Army consider a medical waiver for acceptance. After working with two different recruiters, he was accepted and entered the service on April 25.

He achieved expert marksmanship rankings in rifles and grenades and on Aug. 30 was sent to Baumholder. He was deployed to Iraq on Nov. 1, his family said.

While in boot camp and in Iraq, "Evan was notorious for lifting the spirits of those around him as he did throughout his life," his family said.

"Fellow soldiers said that if it were not for Evan, his sense of humor and positive attitude, basic training would have been much more difficult to complete."

While in Iraq, Bixler was given the nickname "Ton of Fun," his family said.

"He was a hero to his family prior to becoming a soldier and will remain a light and inspiration to those who knew him," the statement says.

Naomi Jacob, Bixler's girlfriend of a year, said he always wanted to serve his country, just as his grandfather who was in the Marines did.

She last spoke with him on Dec. 20, just four days before he died, she told The Associated Press.

"He was having a good time. I think he really enjoyed it. That's what he always wanted to do, he always wanted to be in the Army," she said.

Jacob, 18, of Racine, said Bixler was proud of his service and seemed to be the person everyone went to for help.

"He had such a big love for people. He was always trying to take care of people," she said.

Bixler, who is survived by his parents, Kevin and Lisa Bixler, and sister, Amy Theresa Bixler, is the third Wisconsin service member killed in Iraq this month.

From the Journal Sentinel