The native of Derby, Kan., did not survive one last attack. Herndon was shot and killed Thursday while on guard duty in Hawijah, Iraq. No other details were released, and the incident is under investigation, the Army said.

Two fellow soldiers who are back in Hawai'i on leave remembered Herndon fondly, speaking yesterday of a dedicated husband and soldier.

"If you needed anything from Joe, he would go out of his way to help you," said Sgt. Chris Bolwell, who served with Herndon in the Army's 1st Battalion, 27th Infantry, 25th Infantry Division (Light), at Schofield Barracks.

Sgt. Andrew Fix added, "Everybody liked him. He was just one of those kids."

Fix, 24, was Herndon's best man when Herndon and fiancée Melanie were married in Las Vegas in June 2003. Fix was wounded in a firefight April 7 and said Herndon risked his own safety to get him into a vehicle.

Herndon was suffering from two broken ribs after being hit by shrapnel and shot twice by an AK-47. Luckily, the shrapnel and bullets were stopped by a ceramic vest he was wearing.

For that, Herndon received the first of his two Purple Hearts. The second came after his convoy of Humvees was hit by an explosive device in Hawijah on June 25.

"The first time he was wounded, Joe had to be forced onto a truck to seek medical attention," Bolwell said. "He didn't want to leave his fellow soldiers and friends.

"He was just happy that he could continue to stay there and do his part," he added. "He wanted to stay with the guys. He was extremely instrumental to his squad. He was the go-to guy."

The three men were buddies before leaving for Iraq. They hung out at the beach, had barbecues and helped each other out.

Herndon was a good husband, Fix said. "Mel is like a little sister to me, and Joe was like a brother," he said.

Bolwell said Herndon was a "strong guy with the heart of a teddy bear."

"He was a big mush, the way he talks about his wife and his family," Bolwell said.

Melanie Herndon declined to comment yesterday. But she did provide regular updates on her husband via the Internet.

A week after Joe Herndon arrived in Iraq, Melanie wrote about a phone call she had received from him.

"He has had a hard time adjusting to the town. It is very dirty and has no drainage. He says it is hard to tell if the people really want them there," she wrote. "He hasn't showered for about eight days and says I probably wouldn't even want a hug. If he only knew."