The 19-year-old soldier from the Salt Lake City suburb of West Jordan, Utah, chose to join the Army instead of going on a mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. That's according to his uncle, Christopher Nemelka.
The uncle says that, "As a person, Aaron was as soft and kind and as gentle as they come, a sweetheart." He says that what he "loved about the kid was his independence of thought."
Aaron Nemelka was the youngest of four children. His family says he was scheduled to be deployed to Afghanistan in January. Utah National Guard Lt. Col. Lisa Olsen says Nemelka had enlisted in the Army in October 2008.
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