Peter Haskell Burks believed since he was a young boy that his calling in life was to be a soldier. His dad knew that with certainty and said he finds comfort in those thoughts as he recalled Tuesday his son, who died in combat exactly one week ago.

"It was really an ultimate expression of who he was," said Alan Burks, who lives in Celina, southwest of Waco. "He had a servant's heart and a warrior's body and spirit."

The 26-year-old Burks, a 2003 graduate of Texas A&M University, was killed Nov. 13 when the vehicle he was commanding was hit by an armor-penetrating projectile, according to the military. His crew was struck while just outside the Green Zone, which is a well-guarded area in which many U.S. diplomatic and government officials work and live.

"Peter was hit with shrapnel in the head and it knocked him unconscious," Alan Burks said in a telephone interview Tuesday. "He was pronounced dead within 15 minutes of the explosion."

The lieutenant led 17 men and four vehicles in the fourth squadron of the 2nd Stryker Cavalry Regiment, his father said. He joined the U.S. Army in April 2006, and was deployed to Iraq three months ago for a 15-month tour.

"He wanted to be there," Alan Burks said. "He didn't run from the fight. He ran to the fight."

Peter Burks was a graduate of Trinity Christian Academy in Addison, and transferred to Texas A&M during his sophomore year to be closer to friends from high school, his father said.

"Even though he wasn't in the corps, he just had a great respect for the traditions and the service and the honor that Texas A&M teaches and instills in its students," Alan Burks said.

At Texas A&M, Peter Burks majored in international studies and was interested in the conflict in Iraq, his father said. His son wanted Americans to be informed about the war and find a way to be involved, he said.

"The war is real," Alan Burks said. "These people that we read about aren't statistics. We all have a role to play. It's not just the military's problem."

Melissa Haddad, Peter's fiancee, said that she once wrote to him telling him that she was worried about his safety. But Peter wrote back by e-mail, reassuring her that he knew he was needed there, she said.

"Baby, I know that regardless of the circumstances, God is putting me EXACTLY where he wants me for the time being," he wrote to her. "I know that that is hard to swallow, but it is the truth."

Haddad, who lives in McKinney, near Dallas, described Peter as the love of her life.

"There was not one day that went by that we didn't talk about how lucky we were, how much we cherished each other, and how excited we were to grow old with each other," she said. "Loving Peter was like a fairy tale -- and still is."

Other survivors include his mother, Jackie Merck; stepmother, Laura Burks; sisters, Ali Burks, Sarah Burks and Georgia Burks; and brother, Zac Burks.

Visitation will be at 6 p.m. Friday at Trinity Christian Academy in Addison. A memorial service is set for 11 a.m. Saturday at Stonebriar Community Church in Frisco.

Donations can be made to the Peter Burks Unsung Hero Fund, in care of Texas Star Bank, P.O. Box 1600, Celina, Texas 75009.

His family said that donations for care packages to send to U.S. troops in Iraq also can be made in Peter Burks' memory at www.lovelifefoundation.com.

Haddad said her fiance took care of those whom he loved and that her life won't be the same without him.

"Words can never express the spark that Peter had," Haddad said. "He led the most faithful, selfless, loving, passionate life and touched more people than anyone can imagine."

• Arena Welch's e-mail address is arena.welch@theeagle.com.

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