Army Staff Sgt. Eric R. Vick, former vaulter, killed in Iraq

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http://www.usatoday.com/news/world/iraq ... htm?csp=34

Army Staff Sgt. Eric R. Vick

Robin Faulkner, an assistant high school principal, was a guidance counselor when Eric R. Vick was a student there.

"He was always one of those students who'd have a smile on his face and who'd make you laugh," she said.

Vick, 25, of Spring Hope, N.C., was killed by a roadside bomb April 1 in Baghdad. He was assigned to Fort Drum and was on his third tour.

Vick was the type to avoid trouble if he could and who'd stand by you during difficult times, said his father, Reginald Vick. "If you needed him, he'd be there in five, 10 minutes."

In high school, he had perfect attendance, played the sax in the marching band and set the school record in pole vault, topping 11 feet, a feat that is still noted on the school's list of athletic accomplishments. He competed at the state track finals.

After his military career, he hoped to go into law enforcement, perhaps working for the Highway Patrol or even the CIA. He also is survived by his wife, Stephanie.

"He was easygoing. If you treated him right, he'd treat you right," said his father. "He'd give you the shirt off his back."

[OUvaulterUSAF]

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