Muskegon Chronicle -- People in the small Oceana County community of Hesperia are calling the death of U.S. Army Spc. Dennis K. Samson in Iraq "a tragedy."

The 24-year-old Hesperia man reportedly was killed in Iraq by enemy gunfire Monday.

Samson, a 2000 graduate of Hesperia High School, was described by a close friend of the family as a kind person who stayed "out of trouble" and had excelled in cross country.

Samson's death could not be independently confirmed with military sources. Information about the circumstances and date of his death was provided by Harris Funeral Home in Shelby, whose funeral directors talked to family members after they were informed by the Army.

Harris is handling arrangements for Samson, which were incomplete this morning.

He is survived by his mother, Dawn Ackley, of Hesperia and his father, Dennis Samson Sr., of Seattle. His mother declined to comment this morning and referred calls to the Army Casualty Office.

Doug Baird, Samson's cross-country coach for four years, said Samson was a "great team member" and a "really good kid to have around."

"It's a tragedy that we lost him so early," Baird said.

Samson was "a nice contributor to our school community" and he was talented, Baird said.

"He was a four-year varsity runner for us. He worked very hard at our workouts. He was the type of kid you wanted on your team," Baird said. "He had a smile on his face. He was up to the challenge. It didn't matter how hard the workout would be."

Aside from being athletic, Baird said Samson was kind and a "free spirit."

"He was Native American and had this jet black hair about shoulder length. He would come bouncing along into practice, hair blowing in the wind. That's how I'll remember him," Baird said.

Baird said he enjoyed music and was friends with many people on his cross-country team.

"It wasn't uncommon for him to have his headphones on walking down the road," he said.

He is the 18th serviceman from the greater West Michigan area to die in the Iraq war. Others from the Muskegon area include:

* Army Sgt. Todd James Robbins, 33, formerly of Pen*censored*er, died after the Bradley fighting vehicle he manned with eight other soldiers apparently was bombed April 2, 2003, possibly by friendly fire. Robbins, a veteran of the first Gulf War, was stationed at Fort Sill, Okla. He left behind a wife and 13-year-old son from a previous marriage.

* Army Spc. Brian K. Derks, 21, of Newaygo County's Wilcox Township, died Aug. 13, 2005, when a homemade bomb exploded while he was patrolling in Baghdad. He was assigned to the 2nd Squadron, 11th Armored Calvary Regiment at Fort Irwin, Calif.

* Army Spc. Tony Cardinal, 20, of Muskegon, was killed Dec. 25, 2005, in Baghdad when an improvised explosive device detonated near his Humvee during combat operations. Cardinal was assigned to the 3rd Squadron, 7th Cavalry Regiment, 2nd Brigade, 3rd Infantry Division in Fort Stewart, Ga.

* Brad A. Wentz, the 21-year-old Army Reserve sergeant from Gladwin attached to a Muskegon unit was killed in Iraq. Wentz died May 20 when an explosion ripped through the truck he was driving with the 180th Transportation Company in Iraq. The 180th is based in Muskegon.

As of Tuesday, at least 2,568 members of the U.S. military have died since the beginning of the war in March 2003, according to the Associated Press.