Solder Killed Month Before Wedding

NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- A Clarksville family is mourning the death of a soldier who was supposed to become a husband in June.

Video: Local Soldier Killed In Iraq; Body Returns Home

Sandra Comer said she figured she’d cry with tears of joy when her fiancé, Staff Sgt. Brian Bolander, came home. The couple was set to be married on June 7 before he had to return to Iraq.

"He was going to be home on leave May 27," she said. "We were going to get married June 7 before he had to back to Iraq."

But Bolander, 26, came home three weeks earlier after he was killed on April 29 when his vehicle struck an improvised explosive device.

"Every time I close my eyes, I still see him," said Bolander’s stepfather, Robert Kahrmann.

"When he was 4 years old, he told his dad and I he was going to be an Army man," said Bolander’s mother, Toni Kahrmann.

Bolander was serving his third tour in Iraq.

"He hated leaving his family behind, but he loved what he did. He loved his job," Comer said.

Bolander’s mother and family now reach for memories of Bolander. Toni Kahrmann said one minute, she’d be mad, but the next minute, it was over.

"He'd say, 'Mamas, you're not angry at me are you mamas?'" she said. "You just couldn't stay mad at him."

She said Bolander could sometimes be hard-headed but always soft-hearted, even in a war-zone.

"He lit up a room when he walked in," Comer said.

The family said their world will forever feel a little darker without the light of their lives.