Blue C. Rowe, who was named after his great-uncle, was a University of Arkansas football fan. He wore Razorback shirts even while stationed in California.

“He lives and breathes all things Razorbacks,” family friend Vera Sliger said.

Rowe, 33, of Summers, Ark., died May 26 in Panjshir province, Afghanistan, when a bomb detonated near his vehicle. He graduated high school in 1994 and was assigned to Upland, Calif.

“Blue was always looking for a direction with his life, and when I found out that he chose the military as a career, I knew it was a great fit for him. He overcame a lot to become the man he was,” said Steve Avery, his football coach.

He served as a military policeman in South Korea, Germany and Bosnia-Herzegovina. He served in Iraq from September 2004 through July 2005. In Afghanistan, he was in a Civil Affairs...