Army Pfc. Benjamin T. Zieske, 20, Concord; Killed by Roadside Bomb

Benjamin T. Zieske was not particularly eager to fight in Iraq, but like many young men he saw the military as an opportunity to better himself, his mother said.

For Zieske, joining the Army was his ticket to college as well as a chance to get out on his own for the first time. But his plans were cut short when he was killed by a roadside bomb May 3 while on foot patrol in Kirkuk, Iraq, about 180 miles north of Baghdad.

The private first class from Concord, Calif., died just two weeks shy of his 21st birthday.

“He went over as a boy and died as a man,” said his mother, Laurie. “I could tell. He had grown up. He was more mature, less selfish.”

The former Olympic High School student joined the Army in March 2005 and was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 327th Infantry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault) at Ft. Campbell, Ky.

Zieske’s older brother, Shawn, also joined the military and recently graduated from the Navy’s boot camp. He is doing advanced computer technology training and not expected to be sent to Iraq.

“I don’t want to lose another son,” Laurie Zieske said. “But I didn’t want to stand in his way.”

A few days ago, she said, she came across a videotaped message from Benjamin wishing the family a happy Easter -- the last image she has of her youngest son. She broke down. “I was so proud of him,” she said. “He was a great kid, a great boyfriend, a great uncle. He was my heart.”