Partridge ? A Kansas soldier killed this week in Iraq had dreamed of military service since he was a young boy and left his family a message that he would have no regrets if he didn’t make it back.

Pfc. Peter D. Wagler, 18, and another soldier died Monday in Baghdad when a bomb exploded near the tank they were riding in. Both were with a unit based at Fort Hood, Texas.

Wagler, who enlisted in the Army in September 2004, arrived in the Middle East only last month.

He was the fifth of eight children of David and Trish Wagler, raised on a farm near Partridge in Reno County. On Tuesday, the family received word of his death and read a letter he had given to his parents when he was home for Thanksgiving, with instructions that it be opened only if he didn’t return.

“He said he had no regrets,” said his father, a financial planner. “He said, ‘I would rather live my life fully and die young than live a long and boring life.'”

Peter Wagler

The family wasn’t surprised when Wagler decided to join the Army. He had studied nursing at Hutchinson Community College in 2003, but the armed service remained his ambition.

“From the time he was 5 years old, Peter’s dream was to serve in the military,” his father said.

“We had many discussions,” he said of his son’s plans to enlist. “It wasn’t our preference. But he had such a good attitude, and it was clear that this wasn’t just a whim. : We thought it was the right thing to do, to give him our blessing, and we did.”

After basic training at Fort Knox, Ky., Wagler was sent to Fort Hood, where he was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 12th Infantry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team. His unit went first to Kuwait, arriving earlier this month in Iraq.

Vanya Wagler, an older brother who’s a medical student at Oklahoma State University, said Peter was carefree and full of energy.

“I remember him using fireworks, doing different things just to have a good time,” he said.

David Wagler said the family had been overwhelmed with the community’s support.