Death could not divide the brothers in arms.

Cpl. Brandon M. Craig, 25, of Earleville, died last July when an improvised explosive device caused an explosion that ripped through a residential neighborhood in Husayniyah, Iraq.

But the bond between Craig and his comrades, Pfc. Jed Glover, 34, and Spc. Howard Redmond, 23, grew stronger than ever.

“I was at work, and I got the call from Brandon’s wife [Army Spc. Jodi M. Craig],” Mary Jane Craig said. “When I arrived home, there was a sergeant and chaplain waiting for me.”

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The three men were part of the same Army unit, and Glover and Redmond, who were with Brandon when he died, flew to Maryland — accompanying Craig’s body — to meet their fallen comrade’s family for the first time. “Brandon always called them his boys,” Mary Jane Craig said. “They are both suffering terribly from this loss.”

And through it all — the funeral and the grieving — Glover and Redmond have stayed close to the Craigs.

“He was proud of his family, and he respected everyone,” Glover said. “It was never anything but a good time with Brandon.”

Daniel Craig, Brandon’s father, agreed: “He had such a bright smile and a great sense of humor. He wasn’t fake.”

Despite the devastation of losing her son, Mary Jane Craig has gained the love of two soldiers.

“I never met them face-to-face until they appeared at my door for Brandon’s funeral,” she said. “Who could ask for more than that?”

lduffy@baltimoreexaminer.com