jeffrey avery dies from wounds suffered

Jeffrey A. Avery dies 'from wounds suffered when an improvised explosive

device detonated during checkpoint operations'

Jeffrey Avery wore cowboy hats and big belt buckles and spent his

youthful summers riding bulls.

He also had a strong sense of justice and from an early age wanted to

be a police officer, friends and family said Wednesday.

Avery, 19, had begun his law enforcement career as a military

policeman when he died Monday after an explosion at a security

checkpoint in Iraq. He was serving his first tour and had been working

since December in Muqudadiyah, about 60 miles north of Baghdad.

While Avery focused on serious pursuits, he was also a jokester,

always ready with a smart-aleck remark. He loved camping, hunting,

bull riding and country music. A favorite song was "Don't Take the

Girl," by Tim McGraw.

Avery was born at Camp Pendleton, a Marine Corps base in California,

said his mom, JoAnn Sanchez. His family moved to Germany soon after

his first birthday. Four years later, the family moved to Colorado

Springs.

In seventh grade at West Middle School, Avery met a boy on the school

bus who lived near him. He and Chris Parson became best friends. The

two spent summers together trying cowboy pursuits, including bull

riding at an arena near Calhan, Parson said.

"He was scared at first, and then afterwards, I can always remember,

he just jumped off and said `Let's do it again,'" Parson said.

Even before he graduated from Coronado High School in 2005, Avery was

taking criminal-justice classes at Pikes Peak Community College. His

military service was to be a jump-start to a law enforcement career.

The Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks contributed to his decision to

join the Army.

His family and Parson's were living in the same apartment complex when

the planes struck in New York City and Washington, D.C., said Parson's

mom, Angel Madonna.

"We were back and forth watching the news together, and he took it

pretty hard," Madonna said. "I think that directly affected his

decision to go into the military to fight for our country."

Avery's experience in Iraq reinforced his belief in the U.S. mission

there, said Doug Trembly, Avery's mother's fianc�. The family has a

tradition of military service, with his mom in the Navy Reserve, and

his brother and dad in the Marine Corps.