Army Spc. Daniel Fuentes of Levittown enlisted in the Army following Sept. 11.

His mother, Nancy Fuentes, says her son wanted to protect the U.S. from future terrorist attacks. He was deployed to Iraq in February 2007.

Daniel Fuentes stayed in touch with family back in New York to let them know he was all right. Hardly a day passed without a phone call or email.

"He would express himself in a way that it just really would light up your soul, “ says Nancy Fuentes.

In March 2007, Daniel Fuentes sent a heartfelt email to his mother in which he wrote:

"To the greatest woman in the world. Hey mom, yes it's true. You're going through what every mom has felt since the beginning of war. The mother's love for her son is so strong. For her, even herself to realize her son is fighting.  Thinking when I was a little boy, the first kid you had and now you have to let me go so I can do my part for our nation. Mom, you're the best, you're strong and determined for every cause. You never quit. You pursue obstacles that are in front of you. That is where I get my determination, that is where I get  my self-motivation from. Many say we are heroes. I say the mother of the grunts are. I love you Mom. I thank you for everything. Take care love you. Your son, Danny.”

Just two months into his first deployment, the messages home ceased. An improvised explosive device detonated near his vehicle. Daniel Fuentes was only 19 when he died on April 6, 2007 in Baghdad, Iraq.

His legacy of helping others lives on. The Specialist Daniel A. Fuentes Memorial Scholarship Fund gives students at Island Trees High School the opportunity to get a college education. 

"I love him very much. I will never forget about my son. I will always talk about him. The more you talk about your loved one, the more that they’re there with you in spirit,” says Nancy Fuentes.