May 21, 2012
Knoxville (AP) -- A soldier who grew up in Knoxville is one of nine 82nd Airborne Division Paratroopers killed in a suicide truck bombing in Iraq.
The family of 20-year-old PFC Michael Rodriguez confirmed his death. The US Department of Defense has yet to confirm the identity of the soldiers, who were based at Fort Bragg, North Carolina.
Relatives told the Knoxville News Sentinel that Rodriguez lived in Knoxville as a boy and attended Central High School in the city.
He had been in Iraq since August, and had been engaged since January.
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