Duke Lacrosse Team Tragedy

Feb. 20, 2007— -- On any given day, veterans from all American wars are buried in Arlington National Cemetery; roughly 28 heroes are laid to rest each day. Today one of them has a special connection to the Duke lacrosse team.

Army Sgt. James John Regan was a star student athlete and a widely admired member of the team. After serving double tours of duty in Iraq and Afghanistan, earning a Bronze Star and a Purple Heart, Regan, 26, died in combat two weeks ago in Iraq.

Motivated by a deep sense of duty to his country, Regan enlisted in the Army after graduating from Duke in 2003.

"He said, 'If I don't do it, then who will do it?' He recognized it as an option and he couldn't not do it," Regan's fiancee, Mary McHugh, told Newsday. Regan and McHugh were to be married in 2008, after his tour in Iraq. He was killed Friday, Feb. 9, in northern Iraq. He died of wounds suffered when his vehicle was bombed.

If his teammates and friends were surprised by Regan's decision to join the military, it was only because he had so many promising options ahead of him.

"There was a certain level of surprise, especially given the other choices Jimmy had," said Art Chace, information officer for the Duke lacrosse team.

"Jimmy had opportunities to go to law school, to work in financial firms in New York, but he chose to serve his country and to protect the freedom we cherish in the United States."

Even so, his decision to serve and his dedication fit the kind of person his teammates knew and admired. Regan, a native of Manhasset, N.Y., was known as the consummate team player -- smart, selfless and hugely talented -- and one who got the job done without seeking the spotlight.

"He was a young man who always put the team first," said Chace.

"He was very outgoing, very energetic. He was always smiling. And he was great to be around," friend and former teammate Kevin Cassesse told ABC News.

If there was one great example of his contribution to the team, said Chace, it was the Atlantic Coast Championship of 2002. Regan had four goals in a game won by a narrow 14-13 over rival University of Virginia.