Army Spc. Dakotah L. Gooding21, of Des Moines, Iowa; ; assigned to the 5th Squadron, 7th Cavalry, 3d Infantry Division, Fort Stewart, Ga.; killed Feb. 13 when the vehicle in which he was riding overturned in Balad, Iraq. Also killed were Sgt. Chad W. Lake and Sgt. Rene Knox Jr.Des Moines soldier reported killed in IraqAssociated PressDES MOINES, Iowa — A Des Moines soldier is one of three reported killed when their armored Humvee overturned into a canal near the town of Balad, Iraq, during a combat patrol, the Department of Defense reported.Spc. Dakotah L. Gooding, 21, and the other two were assigned to the Army’s 5th Squadron, 7th Cavalry, 3d Infantry Division, based at Fort Stewart, Ga., the military said late Tuesday. The incident, which occurred on Sunday at about 5:10 a.m., is under investigation, the Army reported. The others killed in the turnover were identified as Sgt. Chad W. Lake, 26, of Ocala, Fla., and Sgt. Rene Knox, Jr., 22, of New Orleans, La.Relatives said Gooding grew up in Keokuk and he and his mother moved to Des Moines five years ago. His mother, who was in Georgia on Tuesday night awaiting his coffin, said he had wanted to be a soldier since he was five years old.Gooding, who also left a wife, two sisters and three nieces and nephews, had been in Iraq less than three weeks when he was killed, relatives said.The men from Task Force Danger were on a combat patrol near the town of Balad, 50 miles north of Baghdad, the U.S. command said in a statement.A fourth U.S. serviceman died attempting to rescue the soldiers on Sunday, the Pentagon said. Air Force Staff Sgt. Ray Rangel, 29, of San Antonio, apparently drowned after disappearing in the water.Rangel was a firefighter with the Seventh Civil Engineer Squadron, based at Dyess Air Force Base in Abilene, Texas.Gooding is the 21st Iowa service member killed in Iraq or Afghanistan.

Dakotah Lee "Koty" Gooding, 21, died, Sunday, February 13, 2005 from injuries sustained while serving in the U.S. Army in Balad, Iraq . Koty was born August 17, 1983 in Keokuk, IA and was attached to CTRP 5-7 CAV of Ft. Stewart, Georgia. Survivors include his wife, Angela Gooding of Rincon; mother, Judith Gooding of Des Moines, IA; father, Kenneth Mason of Warsaw; sisters, Jessica Hegna and Brandi Gooding, both of Des Moines, IA; nephews, Shawn Christienson and Kobe Dickson, both of Des Moines, IA; niece, Kourtney Dickson of Des Moines, IA; mother-in-law, Kathryn McLendon of Rincon; father -in-law, William McLendon of Savannah; two brothers -in-law, Aaron McLendon and Christopher McLendon, both of Effingham; best friend, Arron Winkey of Denver, IA; and many family, friends, and Army band of brothers. Visitation will be 10 a.m. Ð 12 noon, Saturday, February 19, 2005 at the funeral home. Funeral service will be at 12 no on, Saturday, February 19, 2005 in the funeral home chapel. Interment will be in Effingham Memorial Gardens. Thomas C. Strickland & Sons Funeral Homes Effingham Chapel