Post-Tribune -- PORTAGE — A Portage High School graduate died in Iraq on Monday morning.

Spc. Adam James Harting, 21, was in Samarra when an improvised explosive device detonated near his Bradley Fighting Vehicle.

He was a hero, Jim Harting, Adam Harting's father, said. He was my hero. I'll always love him.

Adam Harting was a member of the 3rd Battalion, 69th Armor Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 42nd Infantry Division, Fort Stewart, Ga.

He grew up in Portage, graduating from Portage High School in 2002. His family moved to Valparaiso less than a year ago, Jim Harting said.

Despite the move, Jim Harting said his son will be buried in Portage.

“We’re Portage people, and that’s where we’re from,” Jim Harting said.

Adam Harting has a twin brother, Alex, who was also in the military.

Alex Harting served a tour of duty in the Air Force and was in Portage with his father Tuesday night.

His mother is Brenda Harting. He also had six other siblings as well: Mark, 20, Josh, 15, Jimmy, 14, Tiffany, 22, Tabitha, 20, and Hanna, 8.

Jim Harting said his twin sons gave him letters when they were young promising that they would enter the military.

“Little contracts that they both wrote,” Jim Harting said. “He believed in what he was doing.”

Adam Harting also spent time in Portage High School’s ROTC program.

“I remember him coming up to me in the hallway and saying he was going to join the Army,” said Maj. John Johnston, who oversees Portage’s ROTC. “I saw him on TV once guarding something over there.”

Portage High School Principal Richard Kirchner called Adam Harting’s death a tragedy.

“You read about it in the paper and you hear of other communities losing their young men,” Kirchner said. “Unfortunately, it happened in Portage. Portage High School extends its sympathies to the Harting family. We’re proud of all the young men serving there.”

Jim Harting said his son had the biggest heart in the world.

Every conversation would end with, “take care of the family” and “I love you.”

“He always took the underdog’s side,” Jim Harting said. “If there was a little guy getting beat up by a big guy, he’d beat up the big guy and tell the little guy don’t worry about it.”

Portage High School guidance counselor Debra Heitmann remembers Adam Harting as a “nice young man.”

“I remembered he was considering the military as among his possibilities,” Heitmann said. “I remember him and his brother. I feel very sad to hear this news.”

Adam Harting was interviewed by Time magazine when he arrived in Iraq because he was one of the youngest soldiers there.

“I just figure there’s a lot of people here who take care of me,” Adam Harting told the weekly newsmagazine, referring to superiors who were assigned to watch out for soldiers like him.

Jim Harting said he found out about his son’s death Monday when a neighbor from across the street saw military officers arrive at his front door.

The neighbor told him he had to come home immediately.

“I’m sure he knew what was going on,” Jim Harting said.

Adam Harting had visited his family recently.

He got the chance to come home on Father’s Day. The last day his father saw him was on July 5.

“He was my best friend in the world,” Jim Harting said. “I’m going to miss him more than you’ll ever know.”