(January 31, 2007)—Fort Hood Chief Warrant Officer Cornell Chao was a hero in his Orange County, Calif. hometown, residents say.

Residents of a retirement home threw a party for the Fort Hood soldier when he returned from his second tour in Iraq.

Now they're mourning the 36-year-old pilot, who died Sunday when his Apache helicopter went down in Iraq.

Chao and Capt. Mark T. Resh, 28, of Pittsburgh were killed while providing support to Iraqi forces in Najaf, where as many as 200 insurgents died in fierce street fighting.

Chao and Resh were assigned to the 1st Cavalry Division’s 4th Battalion, 227th Aviation Regiment, 1st Air Cavalry Brigade.

Chao bought a house in Killeen a few years ago.

Chao graduated from Fullerton's Sunny Hills High School in 1988.

His photo hung in the lobby at Kirkwood Assisted Living Residence.

Chao's mother Jasmine Crowl was activities director at Kirkwood until her retirement last year.

She'd talked with him by phone earlier this month and says he sounded tired, but he told her not to worry about him.

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