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Nicholas Perez's best friend was a fellow soldier, 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, 2004 during an attack in Anbar province. He was based at Twentynine Palms. 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 Valdez, and father, Sam Perez.