Rex Sprague, a retired Army Sergeant First Class, died near Karbala, Iraq on June 14, 2004.  He was working as a civilian security contractor in Iraq.  His convoy was ambushed by insurgents and despite being mortally wounded by small arms fire in the ambush he was still able to drive three co-workers to safety.

Rex was a Brewer High School graduate and 39 years old.  He had been working in Iraq since January 2004, just one month after retiring from the Army.  He was working for an independent contractor firm which provides a variety of services to the defense department.  His position entailed providing security for translators and logistics personnel in Iraq.

During his military career, Rex Sprague had served in the first Gulf War, Panama,  Bosnia, and other areas of the world.  During the first part of his Army career he served as a paratrooper with the 82nd Airborne Division at Fort Bragg, North Carolina.  After sustaining a serious jump injury he was forced to stop parachuting and transferred into the Military Police Corps.  Upon completion of his tour with Titan Corporation his intent was to return to Maine to start a family with his wife.