Army Pfc. Wesley R. Riggs

Remember Our Heroes

Army Pfc. Wesley R. Riggs, 19, of Baytown, Texas.

Pfc. Riggs died in Tikrit, Iraq, from injuries sustained when an improvised explosive device detonated near his dismounted position. He was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 7th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Infantry Division, Fort Stewart, Georgia.

Wesley Riggs was a "quiet presence," a pensive man with blue eyes that would put Paul Newman to shame. "It made you wonder what he was up to," said family friend BJ McCoy.

Riggs, 19, of Baytown, Texas, was killed May 17 when a roadside bomb exploded in Tikrit. He was based at Fort Stewart.

Growing up on the Gulf Coast, Wesley Riggs was always fond of the water and frequently went rafting with friends. He loved working on cars, fishing, camping and riding dirt bikes. He was a connoisseur of "Southern fun," said BJ's husband, Gary.

Riggs and his cohorts would tear through the closest mud field in a big-wheeled truck. "They would go muddin' or riding any kind of motorized anything that could go fast," McCoy said. "They could make a party out of just about any day."

He finished high school in 2003 after just three years. His decision to join the military was "an organized plan," said his stepmother, Vicki Riggs. "He was a real Southerner," she said. "And he was raised by two Yankees."

Army Pfc. Wesley R. Riggs was killed in action on 05/17/05.