Family and Friends Remember Fallen Soldier

The Port Arthur community is remembering a fallen soldier.

20 year old Private First Class Brandon Keith Bobb is the third serviceman from the Port Arthur area killed in Iraq.

Tuesday, a roadside bomb killed the military police officer. Two other soldiers in his humvee also died.

Nicole Murray spoke with the Port Arthur Police Chief and a high school counselor to learn more about the soldier and the man.

A kind heart, respectful, a gentleman... Who loved sports. Those are some of the ways people who knew 20 year old Private First Class Brandon Keith Bobb are describing the fallen soldier. Bobb was killed Tuesday while serving his country in Iraq. Bobb and two other soldiers in the 401st Military Police company were in a humvee that was struck by a roadside bomb. The Port Arthur soldier was just two weeks away from coming home.

"He was mild mannered... willing to please... well behaved... he was a gentleman."

Geraldine Viltz has been a friend of the Bobb family for her entire life. She's also a counselor at Memorial High School. Bobb attended classes there until his senior year in 2005, when the family moved to Florida. Shortly after graduation, he was stationed at fort hood when he got the orders sending him to Iraq.

"It's hard because he was such a well liked person and his family is so well known in the community."

"When I met him he was a very respectful young man... he comes from a fine family."

Port Arthur Police Chief Mark Blanton is a close friend of Bobb's family.

"This is the third soldier from Port Arthur that has been killed in Iraq and it's tough... it seems like Texas takes the brunt of the losses."

Chief Blanton says news of Bobb's death spread quickly through the Port Arthur community. While a man the chief calls a hometown hero is gone, he is not forgotten. Blanton says it's time to rally around the people Bobb loved most, his family.

"We are going to assist the family any way we can to insure that proper respects are paid to someone who gave the ultimate sacrifice for their country."

Services are pending with Gabriel Funeral Home in Port Arthur. Chief Blanton says the police department will escort the family to Bush Intercontinental Airport on Saturday, when the soldier's body is expected to arrive from Virginia.