Two days before the war began, Spc. Jamaal R. Addison spoke with his mother and relatives in Covington, Georgia.

Initially listed as missing this week, news of his death is hard to accept, say family members and friends.

"He didn't want to get off the telephone, he just wanted to hold on to that conversation as long as possible," said family pastor, the Rev. Julius Kidd.

Addison, 22, was one of at least two soldiers of the 507th Maintenance Company who was killed in an ambush in Iraq.

"I'm praying that God's going to pull out a miracle," his mother, Patricia Roberts-Webb, says. "My son's going to come and he's going to say, 'Ma, it wasn't me, it was somebody else. They made a mistake."'

"But, I guess reality is setting in more and more, knowing that's not the case," she said, holding a picture of him in uniform.

Relatives fondly described Addison as the family's computer guru.

"He was just a mild-mannered, quiet child," step-grandmother Jackie Roberts said. "Before he enlisted, he was in Bible study every Wednesday night.

"He had a duty to perform," Roberts said, "but it was hard for (the family) to understand."

Addison is survived by his wife Tekla, a 2-year-old son and 3-year-old daughter.

Kevin Addison said he had been notified by military authorities of his son's death. He declined to say more.

Sharon Addison, who was married to Addison's father for eight years and helped raise his son, said the young man was a joy.

"He had a very gentle spirit. He grew up in the church. He always looked out for his (two) sisters. Jamaal was one of the sweetest young men I've known," she said.