Michael Balsley reported killed in Iraq

Michael Balsley of Hayward joined the Army after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks to serve his country, following in the footsteps of his father, a Vietnam veteran.

On Thursday night, just three months after he was deployed to Iraq, the 23-year-old was killed when the humvee he was riding in hit a roadside bomb, authorities said.

Pfc. Balsley was part of the Army's 3rd Squadron, 61st Cavalry Regiment, 2nd Infantry Division based out of Fort Carson, Colo. A graduate of Mount Eden High School in Hayward, Balsley left for Iraq in October and was to be on a combat tour for a year.

"I had a bad feeling that something would happen, but I wanted to keep that to myself," his brother, 25-year-old James Balsley III of Alameda, said tonight. "I didn't want to make him paranoid and try to second-guess what he was supposed to do out there."

Since he was aboy, Balsley had wanted to be in the Army, his brother said. "I wasn't too thrilled about the idea, because I knew it would be dangerous, but I supported him."

Close family friend Judy Vargas, 53, of Petaluma said tonight, "He was very devoted to his country, and he wanted to serve our country. That was the thing that he wanted."

Vargas said, "He was just a fun-loving kid. He loved to have a good time with his friends. He always had a smile on his face. He was like a son I never had. He was a great kid. I can't believe that he's gone. I figured of any of the soldiers, he would have been the one to come home because of his tenacity and integrity. It's just really sad."

Balsley's parents, James and Beverly Balsley, were in mourning tonight and unavailable for comment. He also leaves behind his wife, Samantha, and his 1-year-old stepson, Logan, who live in Fort Carson.

Military officials came to his parents' door in Hayward on Thursday night with the grim news.

"Nobody knocks at the door at 8:30 at night with a knock like that," Vargas said.

Balsley's love and pride for the Army Cavalry were clear on his profile on MySpace.com, which begins with the phrase "If you ain't cav" and ends with an expletive.

Outside the family's home on Victory Drive hangs a U.S. flag and another flag mourning the loss of Balsley's friend from boot camp, Army Pvt. Josh Morberg, 20, of Sparks, Nev., who was killed in Iraq in December 2005.

"They both went in because it was the right thing to do," Morberg's mother, Victoria Morberg, said tonight. "(Balsley's) family wants everyone to know that they are all very proud of their son, just as we are of Josh."

Balsley's relatives plan to honor him through Operation: MOM, a Castro Valley organization that provides support for troops and their families.

From the Chronicle