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- The People Behind The Sacrifice
Marine Lance Cpl. Nicholas Perez
Died September 3, 2004 Serving During Operation Iraqi Freedom
19, of Austin, Texas; assigned to the 3rd Battalion, 7th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force, Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center, Twentynine Palms, Calif.; killed Sept. 3 by enemy action in Anbar province, Iraq.
Nicholas Perez's best friend was a fellow Marine, and one who shared his blood. "Hey there, little brother," his sister, Briana Perez, said as she began her eulogy at his funeral. "You truly are a hero and won't be forgotten. Brother, I love you with all of my heart." Perez, 19, of Austin, Texas, died Sept. 3 during an attack in Iraq’s Anbar province. He was based at Twentynine Palms, Calif. Edward Leo, his elementary school principal, remembers Perez hopping and skipping to school, always with a lot of energy and a lot of curiosity. "He was always full of love for everyone," he said. Perez was a Boy Scout and a volunteer for clean-up projects in Texas. He graduated with honors from high school in 2003 after playing varsity baseball and golf. As he got older, he developed a penchant for fast cars. Edward McGarrahan, his Little League coach, said Perez liked to race his green Corvette. "In the Marines they let him drive the Humvee," McGarrahan said. He also is survived by his mother, Yolanda, and father, Valdez.
— Associated Press