Soldiers From Va., Md. Die in Combat in Iraq

One of the young men was 19 and from Virginia, and the other was 20 and from Maryland. Neither had been in Iraq for more than a few weeks, relatives said.

Both were fatally wounded and died Thursday while serving in different companies in the same Army battalion in Baghdad, according to announcements from the Pentagon and other officials.

The Virginia soldier was Aaron Gautier of Hampton, whose father, Dan Gautier, described him as a "fun-loving young man" who became increasingly serious and responsible after joining the service just before his 18th birthday.

The Maryland soldier was Jonathan V. Hamm of Baltimore.

Pfc. Gautier died of wounds suffered when his mounted patrol came in contact with enemy forces using small arms and an improvised explosive device, the Pentagon said. He was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 23rd Infantry Regiment, 4th Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division, based at Fort Lewis, Wash.

"He was a sweet boy," said Patricia Barker, who knew him while he was growing up. "He was a friendly, caring boy" who would always make her small daughter laugh, she said. "He was so polite."

John Fauls Jr., 28, a neighbor and friend in Hampton, remembered hanging out with Gautier, playing baseball in the street and riding bikes to the pool around the corner. "Just a really cool guy who never got in trouble," he said.

"He started off as a typical teenager," his father said, "into video games and every kind of music you can think of and computers and so forth."

Dan Gautier said his son had always been "kind of infatuated with military service" and had thought of making it a career. A knee injury kept him from the paratroops, his father said, and sent him into the infantry.

In the Army, his father said, he moved from sometimes "being fairly irresponsible" to someone who was "growing up fast," dedicated to his job and being the best soldier he could be.

Marriage changed him as well, his father said.

Aaron Gautier married this year and was looking forward to starting a family with his wife, Lindsey, and using the GI bill to pursue higher education.