MAJ Hecker died on January 5, 2006 was among five soldiers killed Thursday when an improvised explosive device detonated near their Humvee in Najaf, south of Baghdad during convoy operations. Hecker was assigned to the 3rd Battalion, 16th Field Artillery, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, Fort Hood, TX. Also killed were Capt. Christopher P. Petty, 33, of Vienna, Va.; Sgt. 1st Class Stephen J. White, 39, of Talladega, Ala.; Sgt. Johnny J. Peralez Jr., 25, of Kingsville, Texas; and Pvt. Robbie M. Mariano, 21, of Stockton, Calif. Hecker had been deployed to Iraq just after Thanksgiving 2005.

Hecker went to West Point, where he studied engineering management and sang in the glee club. He had been stationed in Oklahoma, Germany, and Bosnia and Herzegovina in the '90's.

He is survived by his wife, and four children, ages 2-10. His father is a retired Army Colonel (Two tours in Viet Nam) from the West Point class of 1965, and his brother is currently serving in the Marines.

He received a master's degree in English from the University of Oregon and went back to West Point, where he was an assistant English professor for three years. He studied Twain and presented a paper about baseball and patriotism. He edited a book about Poe's time as a West Point cadet titled "Private Perry and Mister Poe: The West Point Poems, 1831."

Hecker loved baseball, and his dream was to teach after his year-long tour of duty in Iraq.

For every MAJ Bill Hecker bracelet sold, $10 will be donated to the MAJ William F. Hecker III Memorial Fund in his memory.