Oregon soldier is killed by roadside blast in Iraq.

Byline: From Register-Guard and news service reports

ROSEBURG - Army Spec. Ricky William Rockholt Jr., 28, of Winston, married only four months, has been killed in an explosion in northern Iraq, the Department of Defense said.

Rockholt died Thursday after a bomb exploded near his Stryker vehicle in the town of Tal Afar. Three other soldiers were killed in the explosion.

"Rick was well known among a lot of people in Roseburg and well liked," his dad, Rick Rockholt, said Monday. "I'm sure going to miss him terribly."

He said he learned of his son's death Friday afternoon, when an Army sergeant and a chaplain drove to Diamond Lake to tell him.

The father is marketing director for Diamond Lake Resort, north of Crater Lake National Park, near Mount Bailey. His mother, Sherry, lives in Portland.

Rockholt was assigned to the 2nd Squadron, 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment, based at Fort Carson, Colo., and was attached to the Stryker Brigade Combat Team out of Fort Lewis, Wash.

Ricky Rockholt was married in Canyonville on Dec. 20 to Sheridan L. Begley of Roseburg. The couple had only a short time together before he left for Iraq.

Rick Rockholt said he spoke to his son two weeks ago by phone just after he landed at the Baghdad airport from Kuwait. Ricky Rockholt tried to calm his father by telling him that all of their equipment was new and that they would be well-protected.

Though born in Coos Bay, the younger Rockholt spent his early teens with his parents at the resort. An avid fisherman and snowmobiler, Rockholt found plenty to do whatever the season, his father said.

During the summer, the younger Rockholt - a big, easygoing sort with short brown hair - was quick to take an elderly fisherman out on the lake and show where the fish were biting. Come winter, he could be found hanging around the snowmobile shop, chasing down parts for mechanics.

Rockholt learned a lot in those years, about growing up and interacting with others, his father said.

Rockholt later moved to Roseburg, where he earned a GED from Umpqua Community College. ``He was a nice boy, hard-working and he didn't cause any trouble,'' said Marie Gambill, a GED instructor.

After school, he worked in local mills. He joined the Army two years ago to obtain education benefits so he could go back to school. Rockholt had spent a year in Korea and went back to Fort Carson for additional training before being sent to Iraq.

"He wanted to be a soldier and do his thing," Rockholt said. "He wanted to use being a soldier for advancement in his life further down the road. It just didn't work out that way."

Funeral arrangements are pending.

Reporter Matt Cooper contributed to this report.