Two members of the Maine Army National Guard were killed and a third was seriously injured when a roadside bomb tore through their convoy in Iraq, Gov. John Baldacci said Monday.

Staff Sgt. Dale Kelly Jr., 48, of Richmond and Staff Sgt. David Veverka, 25, a University of Maine senior from Jamestown, Pa., died in the attack Saturday. Spc. Christopher Fraser, 19, of Windsor survived and remains hospitalized in Germany.

Baldacci said it was the worst day for Maine's soldiers in Iraq since the December 2004 suicide bombing at a dining hall in Mosul that also killed two guardsmen and injured others.

Since the start of the war in 2003, six Maine Army National Guard members have lost their lives, as have 13 other Maine servicemen.

"These tragedies, though raw and painful, remind us of the everyday sacrifices made by the men and women who serve overseas, as well as the family members left behind," Baldacci said in a statement released by his office. "It is more important than ever to keep these brave soldiers and their families in our thoughts and prayers as they continue to face danger and uncertainty."

The three men were members of B Company, 3rd Battalion of the 172nd Infantry Regimen, based in Brewer. The unit was created this year from soldiers across the state because all existing units had already been deployed.

The 3rd Battalion was deployed on Jan. 10 and, after training at Fort Dix, N.J., was sent to Iraq on March 8, said Maj. Michael Backus, spokesman for the Guard. Its mission is to provide security for bases and convoys, Backus said.

The Department of Defense released no information about Saturday's incident, but family members of all three men said they were told the soldiers were guarding a convoy when a roadside bomb exploded.

Kelly, 48, was married and had three grown children. He was a supervisor at Bath Iron Works, where he had worked as a manager for the past 17 years.

Most recently he headed a crew responsible for temporary services in the electrical area, according to a statement circulated by BIW to its employees.

In 2004, Kelly played an important role in arranging the shipment of welding supplies to Iraq so members of the 133rd Engineering Battalion could upgrade armor on their vehicles. Kelly was serving his third active-duty deployment since 2001, the company said. There are 18 other BIW employees now serving in Iraq and Afghanistan.

"He firmly believed in the right of all people to have the same freedoms that we enjoy," said his wife, Nancy Kelly. "His death, as well as that of Sgt. Veverka, are a huge loss to not only their families but also to the great state of Maine and this entire nation."

Veverka was one semester away from graduating from UMaine with a degree in wildlife ecology. He was a fellow with a National Science Foundation program that puts promising science students in local schools as teachers. Veverka also was an active member of campus chapters of national science student organizations and was doing his own research on small mammals.

"He was a quiet leader," said Fred Servello, chairman of the wildlife ecology department. "He took advantage of all the opportunities the university offered. He was really an outstanding student."

Servello said Veverka was chosen as one of two people to receive an award honoring the top seniors in the department. He took a leave from school in the second semester to serve in Iraq.

Veverka's parents said their son looked forward to his service.

"He told us before he left that this was his calling," Ronald Veverka told The Herald of Sharon, Pa.

"He wasn't afraid. He was excited to go," said Carol Polley. "He said, `Mom, I'm OK. Everything is cool.' "

Fraser, 19, is a graduate of Erskine Academy. Before going to Iraq, he worked in the woods with his father in the area around Windsor, said...