KRIS-TV -- CORPUS CHRISTI - A 26-year-old soldier from Corpus Christi was killed Friday in an explosion in Iraq. The family of Staff Sergeant Anselmo Martinez, III was notified late Friday morning of his death.

SSgt. Martinez left for his first tour of duty in Iraq, back in October. His family said they were planning to call 6 News when he arrived home on leave next month. Instead they called Friday to report the sad news of his death.

Anselmo Martinez's mother Diana flew a U.S. flag in honor of his service in Iraq. Friday afternoon, his brother and sister were lowering it to half staff in memory of his death. They've been consoling each other after hearing the tragic news that showed up at the front door Friday just before noon.

"My husband answered and I was looking at TV in the other room and he told me they were here and I said 'you're lying' and he told me no, just came and told me that B.J.'s dead," Diana Martinez said.

His mother called him B.J., short for 'Baby Junior, her first son. He had been stationed at Camp Warhorse in Ba'qûbah, Iraq, just north of Baghdad.

She was told he was killed when the Bradley vehicle he was driving hit a land mine.

"If they would've given him leave like he wanted, this would've never happened - his leave was changed like three times," she said. His family expected him home on leave for two weeks in May. His homecoming now will be a much sadder one.

"Well, he's coming home alright, but in a box now."

Now the Martinez family only has the memories of happier times to hold onto now.

Anselmo was 1998 graduate of Robstown High School, he loved fishing, and was known for being respectful, polite, and was always there to listen when his three older sisters needed to vent.

He waited to tell his mother he joined the Army until after he enlisted five years ago and when he told her he was leaving for Iraq. Debbie wanted to travel to Iraq to see her son.

"I said I can get the money to ship myself over where he's at and they say you're crazy, I say, hey, I wanna see my son, I wanna go over there and protect him," she said.

Little did she know Thanksgiving would be the last time she would hear his voice.

"He said 'I love you mom', and that was it."

Two other soldiers were killed in the same explosion.

Funeral services for Anselmo Martinez are pending. The family is still waiting on word from the Army to find out when his body will be brought home.