Growing up, Geoffrey Perez had a lot of dreams. One of them was seeing his name in lights. "He wanted to make movies and be like Jean-Claude Van Damme," said his mother, Blanca Riaheta de Perez. Another was becoming a soldier. The 24-year-old from Los Angeles died Aug. 15 of injuries suffered in action in Iraq's Anbar province. He was based at Camp Pendleton, Calif. "He was so proud of the military. He was always singing the Marine Corps hymn," said his sister Lidia. She described her brother as a "party person," the kind of guy who could walk into a quiet room and instantly make it fun. "He left a lot of broken hearts," she said. Before he left, his sister gave Perez some advice: "Be careful. Keep your eyes open and watch your back." "I'll be back," he promised. "But he's not," Lidia Perez said. In addition to his parents, Geoffrey Perez is survived by a 19-month-old son, Jonathan Jesus Perez.

— Associated Press