Lemke, 30, died Jan. 5 after his vehicle hit a roadside bomb in Ibrahim Al Adham, Iraq, according to the Department of Defense.

He was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 23rd Infantry Regiment, a unit of the 4th Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division – the Stryker brigade that has lost 34 soldiers since deploying in April.

Lemke’s sacrifice was honored in the post’s Evergreen Chapel during a time of relative calm; he’s the only Fort Lewis soldier to have died since November.

He leaves two daughters, Elizabeth and Casey, and his parents, Gregory and Colleen, back home in the Milwaukee area.

Capt. Christopher Moro wept as he described Lemke’s intelligence and dedication to his daughters, who are 7 and 9.

“Through his actions, Lemke made the decision to define himself as a family man, one of the most difficult decisions one can make,” Moro said. “He defined himself as a man of culture, deciding to become a linguist. I am proud to have (had) such a great person under my command.”

In a written statement, Spc. Anthony Gonzalez said Lemke was known for telling jokes, some of them groan-worthy. But his sense of humor didn’t interfere with getting the job done.

“There was nothing he wouldn’t do for me – no task he wouldn’t complete,” Gonzalez wrote in a statement read by Capt. Andrew Marsh, the commander of the rear detachment of the 2-23 Battalion. “He put his pride aside and always did what was needed.”

Lemke joined the Army in December 2004 in his home state of Wisconsin, and arrived at Fort Lewis in May 2005.

He had planned to sign up right after graduating from high school, but his parents convinced him not to, they told Milwaukee Public Radio. Instead he got married and worked odd jobs to support his daughters.

Lemke was killed on his first deployment.

In training to use equipment, the soldier was an especially quick study, said Sgt. Christopher Bagwell, a fellow member of Alpha Company.

“He took to everything faster than I did – faster than anyone I ever met,” Bagwell said.

He was also constantly concerned about the well-being of fellow soldiers.

Bagwell said he remembers how Lemke kept him company when he was injured in Iraq and waiting to be evacuated last year.

“When I was wounded he sat with me and cracked jokes, helping me take my mind off the situation,” Bagwell said.

Only days before his death, Lemke e-mailed Bagwell asking how other wounded soldiers were doing.

“He took time out of his day when he could be talking to his family to check on our wounded brothers,” Bagwell said. “To me it was indicative of what kind of man Jason was. I look forward to seeing him again in a better place.”

Melissa Santos: 253-552-7058