The Columbus Dispatch -- They were in Iraq, and the two soldiers who served with the 545th Military Police Company marveled at how they ended up together when both were from central Ohio.

Army Staff Sgt. Shannon M. Smith, 31, of Marion, was the supervisor of Pfc. Zachary T. Myers, 21, of Delaware.

Both were killed Tuesday as they rode in the same armored vehicle that was hit by an explosive in Baji, Iraq. A third soldier, Thomas F. Lyons, 20, of Fernley, Nev., also was killed.

Shannon Smith was an avid fan of the Ohio State Buckeyes who loved the outdoors. He enjoyed hiking, canoeing, fishing and bowhunting for deer.

But those activities had to be squeezed in when he wasn’t defending his country.

Smith, 31, of Marion, Ohio, joined the Army in 1997 and had served tours in Afghanistan, Iraq and Bosnia. He died in combat Sept. 8 after the vehicle he was in was bombed in Baji, Iraq. He was assigned to Fort Richardson, Alaska.

Another Ohioan, Zachary T. Myers, also died in the attack. Myers thought highly of Smith, his mother, Tonya J. Latto, told the Columbus Dispatch.

“He talked about Shannon all the time and about what a great a guy he was,” Latto said. “He was a good friend who showed him the ropes.”

Smith was a 1997 graduate of Marion Harding High School, where he excelled in wrestling.

He and his wife, Cassie, liked to spend time sightseeing and photographing Alaska when they could find the time.

Smith also leaves behind a son, Steven.