Caleb Christopher laid to rest

MESA -- Family and friends remembered a U.S. Army soldier who was killed in Iraq as a sharp, thoughtful man of few words who was a wiz at Scrabble.

A roadside bomb killed Sgt. Caleb Christopher, 25, on June 3. His memorial service was held Tuesday in Gilbert.

"It's been rough," said his father, Edward Christopher. "It'll be a while before all this sinks in."

His sister-in-law, Jenny Christopher, said Caleb Christopher had been planning to go on vacation in Florida with his fiancee, Rebecca Cadro, who had already packed her bags.

At the service, all Cadro could do is cry as she stared at the casket.

The Rev. Gary Kennedy said Christopher was best known for rallying his fellow soldiers. "'Don't be scared, don't think about it, and we'll get through it,' he'd tell them," Kennedy said.

Christopher served in the 1st Battalion, 8th Cavalry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division out of Fort Hood, Texas.

He was posthumously awarded a Purple Heart, the Iraqi Campaign Medal, the Bronze Star and the Global War on Terrorism Service medal.

From the Arizona Daily Star

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