Army sergeant from Maine killed in roadside bombing

LEE, Maine -- An Army sergeant from northern Maine was killed over the weekend in a roadside bombing in Iraq, officials said yesterday.

Joel A. House died Saturday from wounds sustained in the attack in Taji, 12 miles north of Baghdad, Governor John Baldacci's office announced. Sergeant House was 22.

He grew up in the eastern Penobscot County town of Lee and graduated from Lee Academy in 2003, said his mother, Deanna House.

Sergeant House, who was on his second tour in Iraq, suffered head wounds from a suicide bomb attack in March, his mother said.

Afterward, he spent time with his parents and older brother and sister in Florida before returning to Iraq in April.

Sergeant House enlisted right out of high school and was serving with the First Cavalry Division in Fort Hood, Texas.

He came from a family with a long tradition of military service, his mother said.

"He always knew he wanted to go into the military," Deanna House said.

Sergeant House was a quiet and humble man who was devoted to his family and his faith, his mother said. He enjoyed playing the guitar, fishing, hunting, and other outdoor activities.

His father, Paul House, was a master guide who runs House in the Woods Guide Service.

The son told his parents that when he left the military he hoped to return to Maine, go to college, and work with the family business.

In a statement, Baldacci said he talked with Sergeant House's parents to offer his condolences.

"His parents expressed a deep pride in what their son accomplished in his short lifetime," the governor said.

"It is a great tragedy that Maine has lost another beloved and talented son."

Flags will be lowered to half-staff on the day of Sergeant House's funeral.

Funeral arrangements had not yet been made.