By Carolyn Lee
    The Imperial Republican
     Sgt. Christopher R. Kruse, nephew of Mary Deyle of Imperial, was killed by a land mine near Mukhisa, Iraq Nov. 12. He was with the 2nd Battalion, 23rd Infantry Regular, 4th Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division of the U.S. Army.
     The 23-year-old, of Emporia, Kan., was riding on the outside of a stryker vehicle with Cpl. Peter W. Schmidt, 30. Four other soldiers were inside the vehicle.
     The soldiers spotted something on the road and stopped. When Sgt. Kruse and Cpl. Schmidt jumped off, Sgt. Kruse stepped on a land mine.
     The two were killed instantly. The four in the vehicle were injured and evacuated to a coalition hospital.
     Sgt. Kruse, the only son of Deyle's brother Dan of Topeka, Kan., was married to Courtney. Their daughter was born shortly before he was deployed, about a year ago.
     Services were to be held Wednesday at 2 p.m. CT at the Methodist Church in Dodge City, Kan.
     Sgt. Kruse was based at Ft. Lewis, Wash.