Army Specialist Dominic J. Hinton

Remember Our Heroes

Army Specialist Dominic J. Hinton, 24, of Jacksonville, Texas

Spc Hinton was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 187th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division, Fort Campbell, Ky.; killed Nov. 19 when an improvised explosive device detonated near his Humvee during combat operations in Bayji, Iraq. Also killed were 1st Lt. Dennis W. Zilinski, Staff Sgt. Edward Karolasz, and Cpl. Jonathan F. Blair

Hinton's daughter, Nicole, is 4 — barely old enough to understand what happened to her father.

"She understands the military, soldiers and stuff, and I told her that he went up to be with God, and he was in God's Army now. So, she understood that, but the thought of him not coming back is what gets her, because she still asks," said Hilton's widow, Crystal.

Hinton, 24, of Jacksonville, Texas, was killed Nov. 19 by a roadside bomb in Beiji.

He was on his second tour and was assigned to Fort Campbell. A 2000 high school graduate, Hinton was working at Western Lithotech when he decided to enlist in 2001. After his service was over, Hinton told his wife he hoped to enter law enforcement.

"He, I think, wanted to become a sheriff — that was his talk. He

wanted to spend time with the kids. That was a big thing for him," Crystal said. He also is survived by a 1-year-old son, Michael.

"He was just very quiet, shy, laid back, very sweet, very polite. Just an overall good kid," said Brother Don Harvey, the Hinton family's pastor. "Just a very solid young man with morals and integrity."

Army Specialist Dominic J. Hinton was killed in action on 11/19/05.