HONOLULU -- The widow of a Hawaii soldier who died while serving in Iraq said Pvt. Jeung-jin Kim died doing what he wanted: "to serve and protect."

A. Young Kim always carried pictures of her husband in her purse while he was away in Iraq. Now those photos mean even more to her.

"He's the most handsome man I ever knew. That's why we were supposed to, you know, do so many things together," A. Young Kim said.

Jeung-Jin Kim, 23, was killed Oct. 6 in a roadside attack while on patrol. The last time A. Young Kim spoke with her husband was six hours before he left on the mission.

"We had our normal, 'I love you,' 'Be careful.' He said, 'Don't forget. Don't cry in front of Apollo. You cannot cry in front of Apollo,'" she said.

Apollo is 5 weeks old. Jeung-Jin Kim never met his son, but he knew exactly what he wanted for him.

"My husband was a warrior and he wanted our son to be a warrior. So, we both agreed on Ikaika as my son's middle name," A. Young Kim said.

His wife called Jeung-Jin Kim "Nicky." He was a native of South Korea, but loved Hawaii and the food. The couple had been married three years. He had an infectious laugh. He had plans to become a Honolulu police officer.

The soldier kept the dangers he faced overseas hidden from his wife.

"Like, if you walk out, you can get shot at and killed. He never told me any of those things," A. Young Kim said.

Kim's widow, a 1999 graduate of Hawaii Mission Academy, is a private first class stationed at Fort Jackson in South Carolina. She's now on maternity leave and could herself be sent to Iraq.

"I'm not scared, just because my husband lost his life. I'm not scared to go," A. Young Kim said.