Shay, 22, grew up in Amesbury and was raised by his mother, Holly, after his father, Michael, died of cancer when Jordan was 2 years old. He graduated from Amesbury High School in 2005, and enlisted in the Army the following year. He was assigned to Company A, Fifth Battalion, 20th Infantry Regiment in Fort Lewis, Wash. Neighbor John Edmands said he was surprised by Shay's decision to enlist because he didn't seem to be of a military bent. "He wanted to do something for his country," Edmands said. Shay left in August for his second tour of duty in Iraq, and was planning to propose to his longtime girlfriend when he returned home. Shay and another soldier were killed Sept. 3 in a vehicle rollover near Baquba, Iraq.