James Riekena remembered

REDMOND, Wash. - James Riekena's mother wants you to know about James the soldier, and James the son.

At her home in Redmond, Pat McCune showed photos portraying her son as the rough and tumble soldier that he was while serving in Iraq.

James often wrote home about the dangers of his daily drives through the grueling streets of Baghdad.

"He was a young man who had a lot of wild dreams and plans and hopes and ideas," said Pat.

But in addition to the photos of James in uniform, his mom wanted to show a picture displaying her son's other side. It was a photo of the son she called "J.D.," smiling and holding his dog Bailey.

"His brothers and sister are gonna miss him," his mom said, "and it's gonna hurt forever."

A month away from his 23rd birthday, James was killed this past weekend in Baghdad by a roadside bomb. His mom got the news early Sunday morning.

"Even though he was in the army and I knew he was getting shot at and everything, its' still hope against hope it wouldn't be them at the door telling me he was gone," she said.

James had volunteered for a second tour to help pay for college. His mom says the Eagle Scout talked about becoming an English teacher.

Now, while he has become another casualty in Iraq, his mom treasures her favorite photo - her five kids in simpler times - James standing at the right.

And she wanted you to see it. "Because this is for J.D. its to let people know what a special kid he was," she said.

A kid she prayed she would not lose. But a kid who also made his mom proud by being a man of conviction and a man of his word.

"He said 'you know mom, I signed on the dotted line,' " Pat said, "so, he said 'when they tell me to go I'll go cause that's what I swore I'd do.' "

"Be proud of what they did cause I'm proud of what J.D. did," she said.

A memorial service for James is being planned for next month. He was assigned to the 145th Brigade Support Battalion based in Post Falls, Idaho.

From KOMO 4

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