HeraldNet -- ARLINGTON - Army Sgt. Charles E. Matheny IV always thought of himself as someone people could count on in a pinch, his father said.

That's why, as a single man, he often offered to take on convoy missions in the slums of Baghdad in place of his fellow soldiers, who had wives and children, said Charles Matheny III.

Matheny, 23, an Arlington native, died Saturday in Baghdad when an explosive detonated near his vehicle, according to the Department of Defense.

"I think he decided he was in a stage in his life where he had to rise to the occasion and be the man," his father said.

The soldier grew up in Arlington and graduated from Arlington High School in 2000. His parents' only child, he enlisted in August 2001.

Shortly thereafter, he was sent to Iraq. During his first tour of duty he injured his knee and returned to Fort Hood, Texas. He re-enlisted and returned to Iraq about three months ago.

He was one of more than 20 people killed by gunmen and car bombs throughout Iraq on Saturday, according to The Associated Press.

Most of the attacks were aimed at U.S. military and Iraqi police, although Matheny was the only American soldier mentioned among the casualties, the Associated Press reported.

Matheny's death brought the number of U.S. personnel killed in the Iraq war to at least 2,273 by The Associated Press' count.