By Pamela Lewis DolanPost-Tribune staff writerCROWN POINT - Nick Idalski's family knew he would end up in a career helping other people. They couldn't have been prouder when Nick decided he wanted to "take care of the entire country" and join the Army, said his oldest brother, Nathan Idalski.On Tuesday, Nick Idalski died for his country.Friends and relatives gathered Thursday on the front porch of the family's house on Indiana Avenue to share stories, pictures and memories of a man they say died doing something he truly loved."This was the one job we knew he loved the most," Nathan Idalski said. "Even when he was doing the most mundane thing, you couldn't get him to say anything horrible about it."Idalski, 23, who was assigned to the Army's 2nd Brigade Combat Team, was killed Tuesday along with two other U.S. soldiers. Their unit was conducting combat operations in Ramadi, Iraq, when they came under small-arms attack. Idalski's other brother, Steve Idalski, said he last spoke with Nick about a month ago. He said that although his brother wasn't able to call much, when he did get a chance, he called everyone. He said he had several 4 a.m. wake-up calls from Nick, who would be in the middle of his day in Iraq."He'd say, 'I thought you might be getting ready for work right now,' " Steve said with a laugh. He said the last couple of times they spoke, his brother sounded like he was ready to come home."He started getting weary," Steve Idalski said. "But he would never complain."Steve said his brother didn't talk much on the phone about his experiences in Iraq. He would always say he was saving the stories to share over cocktails once he got home. John Saylor, who runs a barber shop in Crown Point, said he has known the Idalski family since they first moved to the city from Michigan when Nick was about 7."He was a great kid. Always jolly and happy-go-lucky," Saylor said. Saylor said he visited with Nick when he was home in January. He said he and Nick's father, Tony Idalski, also both belong to the Eagle's Lodge.Both of Nick's brothers said Nick was recently promoted to the rank of specialist and was eager to start his new position stateside in the fall after his scheduled visit home in August.The brothers said they were eager to see Nick then. Steve said his brother promised to be home for his birthday, Sept. 24.The brothers reminisced over photographs showing lots of laughs and good times when they were able to get together.One photo showed the brothers, who all shared a loved for the Cubs, at Wrigley Field when Nick was home last year.While the three of them all have gleaming faces in the photograph, the brothers said they had dragged Nick out of bed that morning after a late night out and surprised him with tickets to the game.Nick returned the favor by buying Steve an Ernie Banks jersey and Nathan a Kerry Wood jersey. "He was always doing things for other people," Steve Idalski said.Nick, a 2001 Crown Point High School graduate who joined the Army less than two years ago, was deployed to Iraq in August after spending a short time in South Korea."When I heard they were sending 4,000 troops from South Korea, I knew Nick was going," Steve Idalski said.But had Nick not been chosen to go, he would have requested to join his comrades in Iraq, Nathan said. There was no way he could stand back and watch someone else be sent while he stayed behind, Nathan said.Nick captured a lot of his journey in Iraq on photographs. The family had several albums of pictures Nick had sent home over the past few months.There was a picture of Nick with a group of other soldiers in Army fatigues all wearing Santa hats. Other photos showed him sporting his rifle in the desert.Amber Greenberg, who is married to Nick's stepbrother, Kevin Greenberg, said she never got the chance to meet her brother-in-law. Kevin Greenberg also serves in the Army and the two never had the opportunity to come home at the same time."Kevin's always talking about him and all his accomplishments," Amber Greenberg said."I feel like I know him." Amber Greenberg said the two brothers were serving in Iraq at the same time last year.They were trying to arrange a way to get together over Christmas. Both were talking to their commanders trying to make the visit happen. But it never did.At one point, the stepbrothers were about 30 feet away from one another but weren't able to communicate. But on Christmas Day the entire family was able to come together via modern technology.While the rest of the family was together at the house on Indiana street, "Kevin was on the computer and Nick was on the cell phone," Amber Greenberg said. "Nick found his niche in the Army," Greenberg said, adding that he had a competition for rank going on with his brother."He wasn't going to let Kevin beat him," she said.Amber said from all the stories she's heard of her brother-in-law, "All I get out of it is he's stubborn and fearless.""Those were two of his worse qualities, but you had to admire the hell out of him for it," Nathan Idalski said.As the brothers looked at a photo of Nick from his time in South Korea, they said it was evident by looking at the photo, in which Nick was sporting a wide grin, how much he loved being a soldier."What's that saying, 'A picture's worth a thousand words'?" Steve Idalski said."Every one of Nick's pictures says 10,000 words," Nathan replied.In addition to his two bothers, Steve and Nathan, and stepbrother, Kevin Greenberg, Nick Idalski also leaves behind his mother and stepfather, Kim and Rick Greenberg; his father, Tony Idalski; two stepsisters; and his longtime girlfriend, Lisa Wheeler.Funeral arrangements, still pending, are being arranged by Burns Funeral Home in Crown Point.Kevin Greenberg will fly to Dover, Del., to escort his stepbrother's body home. Once the body arrives at O'Hare International Airport in Chicago, a police escort will be provided to the state line where Lake County Sheriff's Department officers will escort the body to the funeral home.