Vernon Nix hated horses and couldn't stand that his father always had them around.

Corey Hicks loved riding horses no matter what time of year it was.

Nix grew up in Casper and graduated from Natrona County High School.

Hicks, of Phoenix, had been to Casper only a few times to visit his father who moved here in 2003.

The two men lived different lives, in different places, in different eras. They served in different wars: Nix in Vietnam and Hicks in Iraq.

But the two very different soldiers had something in common. They joined the U.S. Army because they believed in defending the United States and helping other people.

More so, they both lost their lives at a young age fighting for their country.

Today marks the 40th time Vernon Nix, the senior, will visit his son's grave at Highland Cemetery in honor of Memorial Day. He said he will go "out of respect" just like he's gone the past 40 years since he lost his son, Vernon, April 29, 1968.

Sgt. Vernon Nix died at the age of 19 after he bled to death from a gunshot wound in Vietnam just two months before his son was born.

His father laughs as he recalls finding a can of Coors once at his son's grave, most likely left by a buddy of Vernon's.

But it wasn't always easy to visit Vernon's grave or talk about his son's death.

"It used to be I wouldn't hardly talk about it," Nix said.

Russel Hicks and his son, Russel Hicks Jr., couldn't hold back their tears as they talked about their son and brother during an interview at their Casper home.

Today marks the first time the family will celebrate Memorial Day in honor of Corey, who died May 2, less than four weeks ago.

Pvt. Corey Hicks died at the age of 22 after he was hit by a roadside bomb in Baghdad on a mission to retrieve two wounded soldiers.

His father said Memorial Day is "going to hold a whole new meaning for me."

Because Corey is buried in Arizona, Hicks said he will probably go to the Wyoming War Dead Memorial on the Platte River Parkway. His son's name was added this past week.

Family members might go "drown some worms," because Corey loved to fish.

"We are taking it day by day," Hicks said. "We just laid him to rest last Wednesday."

Remembering two fallen soldiers

2007 had been a rough year for Corey Hicks.

He had recently gone through a divorce and lost his grandfather.

These were two of the main reasons he joined the Army, Russel Hicks said.

"He said he wanted to do something with his life," his father said. "He wanted to make his grandfather proud."

Corey enlisted last summer and began basic training in August. He was stationed in Fort Hood, Texas.

After basic training, Corey made a surprise Christmas visit to Casper. Corey had spent most of his life in northern Phoenix, where his mother Dawn Settle and his stepfather live.

Russel Hicks said his son loved Wyoming, especially the fact that strangers would wave to him on the streets. Corey told him people weren't nearly as friendly in Phoenix.

"He wanted to ride horses, even though it was late December and a little cold," Hicks said. "He wanted to see as much of Casper as he could and meet as many people as he could."

During the visit, Russel Hicks said he already saw a big change in his son. Corey had done a lot of growing since joining the Army.

While Corey was in basic training, he wrote his brother, Russel Hicks Jr., a letter saying he was sorry they didn't get along when they were younger and asking for forgiveness.

Russel Hicks Jr., who is only a year younger than Corey, said he was happy he got the opportunity to talk with his brother before he left for Iraq March 8.

He told his brother everything was OK between them and they would always be brothers.

Even though his father said he supported his decision to fight, Corey kept his decision quiet for awhile because he felt he might catch some resistance from others.

Vernon Nix didn't tell anyone he was joining the Army.

Right after graduating high school, he marched downtown and enlisted, his father remembers.

With a father who served in the Navy during World War II and a brother also in the Navy, it's not surprising.

"He was gung-ho for the Army," Vernon Nix said. "But I told him anyone who jumped out of planes was nuts."

Nix said his son was an athlete who played baseball when he was younger and football in high school. His football career didn't last long, though. Vernon had a temper and would get in fights on the field.

Vernon was buried at Highland Cemetery because Oregon Trails State Veterans Cemetery didn't exist in 1968. People have tried to get Nix to move his son's grave to Oregon Trails, but Nix said he wants to keep his son at Highland because it overlooks the Little League baseball fields his son used to play on.

A family's 'worst nightmare'

The day Vernon Nix found out his son was dead, he received a call from his son's wife.

He couldn't believe it and thought of all the rumors he had heard about misidentified bodies.

Before they held the funeral for the 19-year-old, Vernon Nix said he had to see the body to make sure it was his son.

He went to the mortuary, looked in the coffin and knew it was him.

"I wanted to see who was in that box," his father said. "I didn't want to bury him until I knew for sure."

For Russel Hicks, receiving that phone call about his son was his "worst nightmare."

The Friday Corey died, Russel Hicks and his other son got a call from Corey's mother about what had happened. There was screaming and crying.

His father and brother had just spoken to Corey two days before.

"He was in good spirits," Russel Hicks said. "He had just come back from a mission where they had been fired on and returned fire."

During that last phone conversation, Corey also told his father he was thinking about a career in the military.

Even though many people around him didn't support the Vietnam War, Vernon Nix "believed in what he was doing," his father said.

He, too, thinks his son would have gone on to be a career military man.

Three weeks before his death, Vernon sent his family a letter about his beliefs in defending his country.

"The uniform I wear with pride has served the cause of freedom for 300 years from Bull Run to Mekong Delta," Vernon Nix wrote.

The day Corey Hicks died, he probably saved about 30 lives disabling improvised exploding devices that could have killed his fellow soldiers or innocent civilians, his father said.

"He devoted himself to the military," Russel Hicks said. "He enjoyed being over there and the people he was trying to help."

Contact reporter Allison Rupp at (307) 266-0534 or allison.rupp@trib.com