Officer, Soldier Shared Passions

Two Slain in Iraq Loved Family, Country and the Military, Mourners Say

Army Cpl. Carl Johnson, 21, and Army Capt. Shane Adcock, 27, died miles apart in Iraq. Johnson died Oct. 7 of injuries suffered when a roadside bomb exploded near his vehicle in Mosul. Adcock died Oct. 11 in an enemy grenade attack in Hawijah.

They shared a deep love of family, country and the military.

Yesterday, the men were interred within hours of each other under an overcast sky at Arlington National Cemetery. They were the 268th and 269th people killed in the Iraq war to be buried there.

Shortly before noon, mourners walked through the soggy grass to grave site No. 8429 to honor Johnson, who was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 3rd Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division, in Fort Lewis, Wash.

Johnson played football and was a member of the service club at Simon Gratz High School in his home town of Philadelphia.

"He was always smiling and willing to help people," said Rich Kozlowski, his football coach.

Johnson enlisted in the military in 2004 and was quickly promoted to corporal, said Erin Benson, a military spokeswoman. Only soldiers who exhibit unusual leadership and promise are selected for the position, she said.

Friends said Johnson was skilled at driving the Army's 23-ton combat vehicles on the crowded streets of Mosul. His battalion commander often singled him out because of his driving ability, and he was being considered for another promotion, friends said.

"He is remembered by his brothers-in-arms as a soldier who took great pride in his profession and strove to do well at all the tasks assigned to him," Maj. Robert J. Bennett said at Johnson's memorial service at Fort Lewis this month.

"He is also remembered as a confidant and friend to his family and his fellow legionnaires," he said.

Johnson is survived by his mother, Peggy Crocker, and his sister, Tisha Johnson, according to the military.

Later yesterday, mourners gathered one grave site over to pay respects to Adcock, of Mechanicsville, Va. Hundreds of people followed the procession to Adcock's grave in the rain. Many mourners huddled under an awning and umbrellas as a chaplain spoke.