A man of God, called home too soon.

The first military chaplain since Vietnam has died in combat.

Will Fred Phelps picket the man's funeral?

Goetz had written of the differences between his Christianity and the religious views of those the U.S. is now battling. He spent the evening of September 10, 2001, trying to convince a Muslim man (married to a Catholic woman) of the merits of Christianity."It was the first time I had really encountered a Muslim man theologically and we had an open religious dialogue," Goetz wrote in 2008 in the weekly Independent newspaper in Elizabeth, Colo. "I learned much from him about his belief system." While he said he failed to get the husband to convert, Goetz added that their discussion "helped me to understand why those men flew those planes to their deaths" the following day. What he took away from that session is that Muslims believe "there is no greater act of sincere faith or virtuous act than dying a martyr's death for their religion."

He acknowledged that Muslim concerns over what they perceive as a degenerate Western culture can drive some Muslims toward terror. "As Americans we repudiate the practice of the terrorist," he said. "Though I disagree with their practice, I do understand their complaints against western society." Goetz wondered if Americans are devoted to something so much that they would willingly die for it. "Our love for freedom is worth dying for," he concluded, "and many have gone before us to preserve this freedom."