Dean R. Bright

Army Pfc. Dean Robert Bright had been divorced but planned to remarry his ex-wife in January in Reno when he was scheduled to be home for the Christmas holidays. Bright, 32, died Oct. 4, 2006, when he came under attack in Taji, Iraq. Bright, who served on the Sutherlin City Council five years ago, "always wanted to make a difference, both in his community and for his country," said Becky Bright, his former wife. "He was proud of being a soldier," she said. "After 9/11, he felt it was a calling. It's something he always wanted to do."

Bright joined the Army in September 2005 and was sent to Iraq in March. He was a cavalry scout assigned to the 4th Infantry Division, based at Fort Hood, Texas. He received the Bronze Star this summer for helping rescue soldiers from a Bradley Fighting Vehicle that had been demolished by a remote-controlled device. Bright was a volunteer coach for youth soccer and T-ball leagues in Sutherlin. "He was one of those guys who saw the value of all these activities he did when he was younger and wanted to pass that along to kids," said John Lahley, superintendent of Sutherlin schools. "He wanted to make a difference and give something back to his community." He is survived by two children, Jarrod, 9, and Maddie, 6.

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