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Broomfield soldier 1 of 3 killed by bomb

Bianca Prieto, Rocky Mountain News

Published February 26, 2007 at midnight

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Patricia Hager finds solace knowing that her nephew died a hero while fighting the war in Iraq.

Staff Sgt. Joshua R. Hager, 29, died Friday after his Humvee was hit by an improvised explosive device near Ramadi, Iraq.

"His grandmother thought he was going to beat the odds," Patricia Hager said.

Hager, of Broomfield, was one of three Fort Carson-based soldiers who were killed during the explosion.

Also killed were Pfc. Rowan D. Walter, 25, of Winnetka, Calif., and Pfc. Travis W. Buford, 23, of Galveston, Texas.

Walter was married with no children. Buford was single.

The soldiers were deployed to Iraq last October, and it was a first mission for each of them, said Judy Dutt, Fort Carson spokeswoman.

They were assigned to the 1st Battalion, 9th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, Second Infantry Division.

Hager joined the military in November 1998. He earned the Audie Murphy award at the end of basic training in a vote by his comrades, Patricia Hager said.

"He wanted to find a way in the world," Patricia Hager said. "He loved the military, and he loved the organization and the structure."

Soon after enlisting, Joshua Hager married Heather Blackman. The couple have an 8-year- old son, Bayley.

His grandfather, Zack Hager Sr., served in the same battalion as a glider pilot during World War II.

"He had his bars pinned on by Granddad when he got out of boot camp," Patricia Hager said.

Joshua Hager was stationed in Florida before coming back to Colorado. He worked as an instructor in the Army Ranger training program.

"He wanted to go to Fort Carson because he knew that once he got there, he'd be having boots on the ground in Iraq," Patricia Hager said. "Joshua died a hero."

During his time away from the Army, Joshua Hager enjoyed the outdoors. Before he was deployed, he, his wife and stepbrother went on a camping trip at the end of September, his aunt said.

The Hager family is waiting for his body to be flown back to the U.S.

Services will be planned later.

"He died doing what he wanted to do, which makes it easier for us to handle," Patricia Hager said. "He was there because he wanted to be there."

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