The Navajo Nation is mourning the loss of Troy Orion Tom, a 21-year-old soldier who was killed in Afghanistan last week.

Tom joined the U.S. Army in June 2006 after finishing high school. "He was the nicest, the kindest, son. He made everybody smile. He always had a smile on his face - never, ever did he get mad. We're going to miss him very much," Carolyn Tom, his mother, told the Associated Press.

Tom is the ninth Navajo soldier to die either Afghanistan or Iraq since 2004.

Get the Story:
Navajo Soldier Killed in Afghanistan To Be Honored (The Albuquerque Journal 8/25)
Navajo soldier killed during Afghan tour (AP 8/22)