JUNE 25, 1950, 4:04 A.M.

He was the guy with the “big, beautiful, gracious smile.” His calm, mature demeanor put those around him at ease. Just being around him made you feel safe, say those who knew Min Soo Choi.

Mostly, people remember that Min Soo loved his sister. He took his role as big brother seriously. Before leaving for Iraq with the U.S. Army in January, Min Soo visited his old high school, where Mirry was in her senior year, and asked his guidance counselor for a favor. Take care of my baby sister, he said.

The bond between Min Soo and Mirry was “immeasurable,” said Vincent Paolini, the counselor at Pascack Valley High School in Hillsdale, N.J.

A month after Min Soo was deployed, he and another soldier — both with the 8th Cavalry of the 3rd Infantry’s 6th Squadron — were killed Feb. 26 while on patrol in Abertha, 20 miles from Baghdad, according to a statement by the U.S. Department of Defense.

He was 21.

Min Soo went overseas in pursuit of a dream — a job as a Federal Bureau of Investigations agent. The 2003 Pascack Valley High graduate had barely finished his first semester at John Jay College in New York, where he was studying criminology, when he decided to enlist.

The U.S. Army, Choi believed, would be a one-way ticket to obtaining American citizenship, a prerequisite for any law enforcement position. But by the time he was deployed, joining the military was more than just a means to an end.

“He was just very proud to serve his country,” said Jacqueline Basralian, Min Soo’s former teacher.

The U.S. government posthumously awarded him citizenship during a March 6 memorial service held at his alma mater. The 58th immigrant soldier killed in Iraq to be granted citizenship, Min Soo was later buried at Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia.

Hundreds, including federal officials and international dignitaries, attended the service in Hillsdale.

“He had only been in this country for a short while, but we all know you loved America,” said New Jersey Sen. Frank Lautenberg, as he handed the naturalization certificate to the fallen soldier’s family. “Thank you, Min Soo, and your family, for contributing to the well-being of our nation.”

Min Soo was awarded a Purple Heart, a Bronze Star, a Good Conduct Medal and a Combat Infantry Badge. The River Vale Police Department declared him an honorary police officer and gave his family a badge, according to published reports.

In eulogies, Min Soo’s friends recounted that they tried to talk him out of his decision to join the military. But he was resolute.

“I saw his sister in the hallway one day in the fall, and I asked her, ‘How’s Min Soo?’” Basralian recalled. “She said, ‘He’s in the Army now, and he’ll be going to Iraq soon.’ I just looked stunned and asked, ‘How do your parents feel about that?’ She said, ‘Well, it’s his decision.’ It was something he felt he had to do.”