Army National Guard Spc. Dennis L. Sellen Jr., 20, Newhall; killed in gun accident in Iraq

As a youngster, Dennis L. Sellen Jr. was a creative, free spirit who would ride his skateboard down the hills of Sylmar or, in quieter moments, sketch pad in hand, draw his favorite cartoon characters.

But in a family steeped in military tradition, Sellen also felt the pull of a life dedicated to service and country.

He attended Marion Military Institute in Alabama, and after graduating in 2004 joined the Alabama Army National Guard. He earned his airborne wings and became a standout marksman.

Sellen later returned home to join the California Army National Guard, where he was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 185th Infantry Regiment in Fresno. The 20-year-old Newhall resident was a gunner on Humvees accompanying U.S. convoys along dangerous Iraqi roadways.

He tried to reassure his mother, Silvia, about the dangers involved, telling her, “Mama, I’ll be fine. God is watching over me.”

But then the family got word that Sellen had died of noncombat-related injuries Feb. 11 in Umm al Qasr, near the Kuwaiti border. An investigation is underway into his death, said Lt. Theresa Chrystal, a National Guard spokeswoman.

Silvia Sellen said she was told that her son was accidentally shot by a fellow soldier who was cleaning his gun after a mission.

“It was a tragic accident,” she said. “Two tragedies, really.”

Sellen’s uncle, retired Lt. Col. William Sellen, who pinned Dennis with his blue infantry cord and later with his airborne wings, described his nephew as an “outstanding soldier held in high regard not only by his peers but his unit leadership.”

As much as he showed a serious side as a professional soldier, Spc. Dennis Sellen was a young man with a comedic flair and a knack for entertaining people, his uncle said.

“His cadet company commander said it was difficult to chew him out because he always made you laugh,” said William Sellen, a Vietnam veteran. “He was that kind of guy.”

As much as military service ran in Sellen’s family, so did entertainment.

His paternal grandfather, Edwin, played in a pit band for vaudevillian performers in San Francisco, where he met his future wife, Billie Bird, a comedian who would go on to land roles in feature films, including “The Odd Couple,” “Home Alone” and “Sixteen Candles.” She also was invited to entertain U.S. troops serving on military bases in the 1960s and ‘70s. She made a total of 12 trips to South Vietnam, mostly as part of USO shows.

Sellen’s mother also was an entertainer. She was a successful singer in her native Panama, where she met her future husband, Dennis Sellen Sr., while he was stationed there with the California Air National Guard.

The twin influences of entertainment and service clearly left an impression on Sellen Jr.

At age 5, he joined Scouting’s Tiger Cubs. By middle school, he was part of the California Cadet Corps, which introduces students to military drills and regulations.

Sellen joined the Junior ROTC at John F. Kennedy High School in Granada Hills, spending two years there before completing his studies at the Alabama military school, where he was part of the White Knights, an elite school drill team.

After basic training, in the spring of 2006, he spent one semester at College of the Canyons in Santa Clarita, where he studied graphic design. He left for Iraq in September with the California National Guard.

In addition to his mother, Sellen is survived by two brothers, Francois and Kevin; and two sisters, Farah and Vanessa. His father died in 1988.

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andrew.blankstein @latimes.com

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War casualties

Total U.S. deaths*:

* In and around Iraq**: 3,243

* In and around Afghanistan***: 309

* Other locations***: 61

Source: Department of Defense* Includes military and Department of Defense-employed civilian personnel killed in action and in nonhostile circumstances

**As of Friday

***As of March 24