Pfc. Kham Xiong, 23

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Saturday, November 7, 2009

Pfc. Kham Xiong, 23, came from a St. Paul, Minn., family with ties to military life that spanned hemispheres. His father, Chor Xiong, battled communist insurgents in Laos during the Vietnam War, according to Minnesota Public Radio, and a brother Nelson enlisted in the Marines.

In a phone interview, Xiong's eighth-grade teacher, Tim McGowan, recalled Xiong's positive energy and his commitment to supporting his family. Xiong and his wife had three young children.

"Kham was just a person of sound character, and his greatest attribute was his ability to make everybody smile," said McGowan, now a principal at Community of Peace Academy, a St. Paul charter school from which Xiong graduated in 2004. "He was a superb role model to his peers and siblings and children."

Xiong was among the first killed at Fort Hood as he waited in line to get a flu shot and a vision test, the St. Paul Pioneer Press reported.

-- Dan Zak