Army Pfc. Keith E. Lloyd

Remember Our Heroes

Army Pfc. Keith E. Lloyd, 26, of Milwaukee

Pfc. Lloyd was assigned to the 1st Squadron, 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment, Fort Hood, Texas; died Jan. 12, 2008 in Tal Afar, Iraq, of wounds sustained when his vehicle encountered an improvised explosive device.

Teacher: Soldier killed in Iraq ‘found himself’ in military
By John Hartzell
The Associated Press

MILWAUKEE — A Milwaukee soldier deployed to Iraq in November has become the fourth person from Wisconsin to die there in two weeks, the Department of Defense said Jan. 15.

Army Pfc. Keith E. Lloyd, 26, died Jan. 12 in Tal Afar, Iraq, of wounds sustained when his vehicle hit an improvised explosive device, the agency said.

Lloyd joined the military as a food service specialist in March and was assigned to the 1st Squadron, 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment, at Fort Hood, Texas, in August.

His father, Gary Lloyd, said Keith Lloyd had worked in a number of retail jobs, including a stint at a Farm & Fleet store, since graduating from South Milwaukee High School.

“He tried to find himself for a while,” his father said. “But he wanted to get himself a career.”

Keith Lloyd’s younger half brother had served in Iraq and is now stationed in Korea, Gary Lloyd said.

After talking to his brother, Keith Lloyd decided to enlist — and was glad he had, his father said.

“He truly believed in what he was doing,” Gary Lloyd said. “He was already talking about re-upping. I truly believe that he was going to make the military his career.”

John Riggins, a South Milwaukee social studies teacher, remembered Keith Lloyd as “never really [being] sure what he wanted to do.

“I think he found himself a bit in the military,” he added.

In addition to his parents and brother in the military, Keith Lloyd is survived by two sisters and three other half brothers.

His sister, Christine Piper of New Berlin, said he was involved in volleyball at South Milwaukee High School, where he graduated in 2000.

He had planned to propose to his girlfriend when he had his next leave home, expected in April, Piper said.

“He had a big heart and would do anything for anybody,” she said.

He was the 85th service member from Wisconsin to have died as a result of service in Iraq or associated with duties in Iraq since the war started.

Army Pfc. Keith E. Lloyd was killed in action on 1/12/08.