APOLLO, Pa. — A soldier from western Pennsylvania was killed in Iraq when his convoy was attacked with small-arms fire.

Army Spc. Joshua J. Henry, 21, died Sept. 20 in Tikrit, Iraq, after his convoy was attacked in Sharqat, Iraq, according to Department of Defense.

Henry, from Avonmore, about 30 miles northeast of Pittsburgh, was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 7th Field Artillery Regiment, 1st Infantry Division out of Schweinfurt, Germany, officials said.

His sister Jasmine Henry, 19, declined to provide additional details or say when the family was notified of the soldier’s death.

“Our family and friends are mourning a great loss in our lives,” Jasmine Henry read Sept. 22 from a statement issued by the family. “Joshua was a wonderful young man and loved by all. He will be missed greatly.”

Friends said Joshua Henry was an exceptional center and defensive tackle for Apollo-Ridge High School before he graduated in 2001. He joined the Army after graduating and served in Germany and Kosovo before going to Iraq in January, friends said.

Jake Nulph said he started worrying about Henry when he got an e-mail from his friend describing Iraq as “hell on earth.”

“I knew then that things weren’t good,” Nulph said. “He talked about coming home for Christmas. The last thing he told me was, ‘I love you, man.’ ”