KGO-TV -- Apr. 30 (AP) — Sgt. Adam Estep dreamed of starting a family with his new bride, graduating from college, and becoming a professional artist. A 23-year-old tank driver, he was supposed to come home on April 12. Instead, his tour was extended.

A military chaplain informed Estep's relatives Thursday night that the San Jose native died in a rocket-propelled grenade attack outside Baghdad.

"This is a parent's worst fear," said his father, Ken Estep. "I'll be in shock until the body returns. You just don't want to believe it."

At least 126 Americans and 1,300 Iraqis have died in Iraq combat in April. At least 737 U.S. troops have died in Iraq since the war began in March 2003.

Adam Estep, who was active in ROTC in high school in San Jose, joined the Army in 2000 and drove tanks for the 2nd Battalion, 5th Cavalry Regiment and 1st Cavalry Division. On Tuesday, he told his father the Army had issued him a Humvee and commanded him to lead convoys in Iraq.

He had been stationed at Fort Hood, Texas, and served a six-month tour in Kuwait. In December, the Army extended his commitment for 14 months. He left for Iraq in March.

His wife of two months, Demara Estep, said her husband longed to attend college and start a family. He lined his letters with sophisticated sketches.

"He wanted to be a dad," said a tearful Demara Estep, who attends college at University of California, Santa Barbara. "He knew that it was possible something could happen and he told me if it did, move on. But he's just not somebody you can move on from."