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A soldier who went to high school in Tucson was killed Tuesday after the tank he was riding in was struck by a roadside bomb in Ar Ramadi, Iraq.

Army Sgt. Mark R. Vecchione grew up in Eastham, Mass. But he moved to Tucson in 1997 with his father after his parents divorced.

He attended Sahuaro High School, graduating in 1999, and he enlisted after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. But it was in Tucson that his life took shape, said his mother, Cynthia DesLauriers.

"He met some of his closest buddies when he was out there," she said by telephone from Eastham. "People that he basically turned into a man with."

Vecchione served in the 1st Battalion, 37th Armor Regiment, 1st Armored Division based in Friedberg, Germany.

After being struck by a homemade bomb, Vecchione's tank caught fire. As the 25-year-old scrambled out of the tank a second bomb exploded, killing him on the battlefield, said Maj. Nathan Banks, an Army spokesman. He was the only casualty, although Banks said he could not confirm if any of his fellow soldiers were injured.

Vecchione's death has resonated across the country as his family and hometown of Eastham grieves along with his friends in Tucson.

"Mark chose the Army, chose the armored division," DesLauriers said. "He figured he would be safe in a tank."

His first tour lasted 16 months, and when he returned his family and friends gathered for a reunion, his mother said.

After he returned to Germany, though, he broke the news that he would serve a second tour.

"I said, 'You're kidding me,' " DesLauriers said.

Despite the dangers, she said she understood his convictions.

"Mark believed in what he was doing," she said. "He believed in America, and he believed in the troops."

She described her son as devoted to his family, in particular his sister Lori and his nephew Sebastian. He had come home on leave June 19 and spent the bulk of his time with family, she said.

It was the same devotion that brought him to Tucson in 1997.

"Mark needed his dad more," DesLauriers said. "He just needed his dad, and his dad decided he wanted to move."

Here, his father, Guy, bought a bakery, and Vecchione occasionally helped with errands.

He also quickly fell in with a group of friends.

"Mark lived down the street, he was my best friend," said Jillian Antonio, who now lives in Nebraska.

She said he stood out because of his maturity and his East Coast background. The two hadn't seen one another in five years but corresponded almost daily, she said.

"At first I didn't like the kid," said Army Sgt. Travis Wilson, now stationed at Fort Knox, Ky. "He just rubbed me the wrong way."

The small group of friends had grown up together and were tight-knit. Wilson and Antonio even dated. Wilson said he didn't understand why the group was taking in a new friend from the East Coast.

But over time, he said he became impressed by Vecchione's devotion to others. "There are a handful of people that have touched my life, and Mark is one of them," Wilson said.

Vecchione had been thinking about enlisting in the military when the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks happened.

A few weeks later his father died. Friends and family said Vecchione found himself in Tucson with little connection.

"He and his dad were really close," Wilson said. "I think he had to get away."

Antonio said his father's death instilled a sense of responsibility in Vecchione. He often said he had to take care of his family, and he even started a trust fund for Antonio's son even though he was not the dad.

DesLauriers said she'll rely on the devotion and love her son displayed to carry her through the loss. There has been a wave of support in Eastham, but she still feels numb.

"Nobody likes war," she said. "The soldiers don't like war, but they believe in their country and the safety of their country, and that's why they do it. Even though I lost my son to this war, I am still going to support the troops. I'm going to continue to send packages to his company."

On StarNet: Search the updated database of troops killed, wounded or missing in action in Iraq at azstarnet.com/attack