An Army soldier from Maize was killed by small arms fire in Iraq last week. Eric Palmer was better known as "Eeker" by his family and friends from high school.

After graduating from Maize in 2004, he went on to join the Army.

He was serving his time in Iraq, when on Thursday night, his family got the dreaded call. The Defense Department says the 21-year-old Specialist was wounded by small arms fire during an insurgent attack
in Bayji. He was stabilized on the scene then flown to Germany and put on life support, but died over the weekend.

Palmer served with the 82nd Airborne Division. He was a member of the division's the division's 1st Battalion, 505th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team.

Survivors include his father, John Palmer, and his mother, Dena Palmer, both of Maize, and a brother, Travis Palmer, of Fort Leavenworth.

There has been an outpouring of emotions on the website facebook.com - in loving memory of a great friend.

One person writes,"I prayed and prayed for a miracle and now I will pray for your family."

Another says," I know your watching over me and someday we'll be together again I love you eeker and I always will."

One friend puts it simply,"I love you so much I can't believe this happened."