After learning of his death on Friday, Murray's friends spent the weekend remembering the kid who wasn't afraid of polyester suits or flying solo in a Cessna.

"He definitely had his own style. Robert Murray would not do things that mainstream people would do," said his friend, Mike Kos.

"We used to call it 'Robertpalooza,' because every day it was something new."

That meant trips to thrift stores to buy 1970s leisure suits, which he frequently flaunted.

He was the kind of guy to grab a traffic cone and put it on his head just to get a laugh.

"High school is so cliquey, but this kid, he used to go into a room and everyone would know him," Kos said. "He just had this personality that no matter what, you were attracted to him."

Murray grew up in Westfield, a one-stoplight town north of Indianapolis. While he could crack jokes on the fly and pull legendary pranks, he also dedicated himself to training in martial arts, lacrosse and earning his flying license.

He first trained as a Marine but was discharged after breaking his leg during basic training.

After healing, he joined the Army in 2004 and was sent to Iraq earlier this year.

"Of course, the past couple days you soul-search - how do you feel about this war? But I think he made Iraq better," Kos said. "Even if it was as insignificant as making little kids laugh or playing guitar in the barracks, he always made everything better. You have to celebrate that."