Goodnature, 35, of Clarks Grove, Minn., always wanted a military career, said his parents, Don and Deb Goodnature of Clarks Grove.

"One thing about Corey — he never wavered," said Deb Goodnature, who last spoke with her son on Mother's Day.

Goodnature and six others aboard the Chinook helicopter that crashed in the mountains of Afghanistan on Tuesday were members of an elite helicopter crew known as the Night Stalkers, which flies special forces commandos behind enemy lines under cover of night. His parents said it was his fourth tour of duty in Afghanistan and Iraq.

Goodnature is also survived by his wife, Lori Goodnature, of Savannah, Ga., and their two sons, Shea, 14, and Brennan, 12.

Lori Goodnature issued a statement through the Army calling him "a devoted husband, a loving father and a dedicated Night Stalker. "Corey was a hero," she said. "He served his nation for 14 years, and spent seven of those doing what he particularly loved to do — flying with fellow Night Stalkers and supporting Special Operations forces."

The Army's Special Operation Command said Goodnature was posthumously awarded the Purple Heart, the Meritorious Service Medal, the Bronze Star, an Air Medal with Valor device and the Combat Action Badge.

Jacoby would have welcomed the mission to rescue an elite special forces team missing in the rugged mountains of Afghanistan, his uncle, Ernest Jacoby, of Hastings Mich., told the The Grand Rapids Press.

"I believe there wouldn't be much of a hesitation," his uncle said.

Kip Jacoby is the son of Stephen and Susan Jacoby, of Florida. Stephen Jacoby grew up in Hastings, Ernest Jacoby said, and relatives throughout the state are grieving the death of 21-year-old Kip.

Jacoby's parents could not be reached for comment last night in Pompano Beach, Fla.

A Miami Herald reporter said their house was dark. A neighbor, when told Jacoby had died, broke into sobs.

"I prayed against that," Doug Smith said. "He was a nice kid. I wish we'd get those kids out of there."

Jacoby, who was stationed in Hunter Army Air Field, Ga., joined the Army in 2002, a few months after graduating from Northeast High School in Oakland Park, the Sun-Sentinel reported in Florida.

His latest assignment was as a flight engineer in the Army's 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment.

"Kip believed his choice of service for our country was meaningful and right," his family wrote in a statement posted on the Army's Web site. "He loved what he was doing, he knew the risks, and he was proud to be a soldier fighting so others wouldn't have to. He made us all very proud. Even in the face of danger, he showed courage and bravery as well as a keen sense of humor. He honors us all."

Jacoby was awarded the Purple Heart posthumously.

Muralles, 33, from Shelbyville, Ind., was supposed to be on his way back to the United States to celebrate his daughter's 10th birthday, which is tomorrow.

But his plans changed at the last minute, family members told the Indianapolis Star yesterday.

The Army medic got the rescue mission assignment after another medic suffered a leg injury.

"When the Army officer came to tell us that Marcus was on the helicopter, I told him that couldn't be,'' said Bob Dill, his stepfather in Shelbyville. "I said his wife talked to him two days ago and he was all packed up and ready to go for his daughter's birthday.''

Muralles joined the Army in August 1994 and served in the special operations forces. An aerial flight medic, he served with the 3rd Battalion, 160th Airborne based in Fort Benning, Ga.

Muralles, who was born in New Orleans and raised in Shelbyville, has a wife, Diana; and two children, Anna Elise, 9, and Marcus, 4. The family lives near an Army base in Savannah, Ga.

"They were his pride,'' said Muralles' mother, Rosemarie Dill, of Shelbyville. "He told his wife how he wanted to buy a five-bedroom house and give his son his own room and computer because he was so smart beyond his years.''

Muralles loved the medical field.

Bob Dill said he tried to persuade Muralles to enter medical school as a civilian, but Muralles was too attached to the Army.

"We said it's real dangerous in the Army and that he could do as much good in civilian life as he could there," Dill said. "But he wouldn't hear of it. He wanted to be an Army physician. He was just real proud of where he was and he loved fighting for his country.''

Muralles served two stints in Iraq and three in Afghanistan. He was awarded posthumously the Bronze Star.

Muralles will be buried in Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia, as he had requested.

Scherkenbach, 40, of Jacksonville, Fla., was an 18-year Army veteran, according to the U.S. Army Special Operations Command in Fort Bragg, N.C.

"Chris was a strong man and had a firm sense of justice," his family said. "He believed in his mission and stood up for what he knew was right. Chris died doing what he loved."

He was a member of the Army's 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment known as the Night Stalkers.

He enlisted as a communications specialist in 1987 and was first stationed in Germany. After completing the warrant officer program, he served a tour as a Chinook pilot in Korea.

He is survived by his wife, Michelle, in Jacksonville.

Scherkenbach was posthumously awarded the Purple Heart, Bronze Star, Meritorious Service Medal, Combat Action Badge and other honors.

Petty Officer 2nd Class James Erik Suh

Suh, 28, of Deerfield Beach, Florida was assigned to the elite Navy SEAL Delivery Vehicle Team One, headquartered at Pearl Harbor.

Born in Coronado, Calif., Suh later moved with his family to Florida. He joined the Navy in January 2001, began his demanding SEAL training five months later, and became a SEAL in February 2002.

Suh, who was single, joined the SDV Team One in December 2003.

While stationed at Pearl Harbor, Suh bought a condo in Waipahu. His family in Florida made no statement yesterday.