Members of a U.S. Army honor guard carry the casket of Spc. Ignacio "Nacho" Ramirez into the chapel at the Southern Nevada Veterans Memorial Cemetery in Boulder City before services Friday. Ramirez was killed in Iraq last week when a homemade bomb exploded under his Humvee. Photos by Ronda Churchill. A group of bikers who call themselves the Patriot Guard Riders and members of the American Legion stand outside the chapel at the Southern Nevada Veterans Memorial Cemetery during services Friday for Army Spc. Ignacio "Nacho" Ramirez, who was killed in Iraq last week when a homemade bomb exploded under his Humvee.

Army Spc. Ignacio "Nacho" Ramirez had a lot to look forward to.

The 22-year-old was close to a promotion to sergeant. He planned to re-enlist and make a career in the Army. And he had just become engaged to his girlfriend.

But Ramirez's plans went awry last week when a homemade bomb exploded under his Humvee in Ramadi, Iraq. The blast killed Ramirez and two other soldiers, 43-year-old 1st Sgt. Aaron Jagger and 23-year-old Spc. Shane Woods.

Ramirez, a longtime resident of Henderson and 2002 graduate of Basic High School, was buried Friday at the Southern Nevada Veterans Memorial Cemetery in Boulder City.

Lt. Col. Fernando Avalos, an uncle of Ramirez who is also serving in Iraq, said his nephew was known as his unit's go-to guy, a soldier who could accomplish any task put in front of him.

Ramirez joined the Army in the midst of war because he "felt the obligation to serve," Avalos said.

One of Ramirez's commanding officers with Cobra Company, Capt. Greg Pavlichko, wrote that Ramirez had made great strides as a soldier since being deployed to Iraq in January.

"He went from being a disgruntled ... clerk who did not even entertain the thought of re-enlisting, to a mature specialist who mastered many tasks," the captain wrote. "I will miss Ramirez and the personality he brought to Cobra. I will miss everything from the smart ass mumblings under his breath, to the strange sense of humor, to the boundless energy and positive attitude he always had."

Pavlichko also praised Ramirez's artistic ability and wrote that he often had asked him to do drawings for fellow soldiers. Among his artistic exploits was a new cobra logo that Ramirez drew for the company, one that he suggested be painted on their tanks, Pavlichko wrote.

Ramirez knew that his superiors would order him to remove the new logos, but he spent hours of free time painting them anyway.

"When I told him the inevitable news, he said with a big smile and his typical drawl, 'roooger sir,' and went about the business of destroying his artwork," Pavlichko wrote.

Ramirez posthumously was awarded the Bronze Star Medal, Purple Heart, Combat Action Badge and Honor of the Dragon, a special award given to chemical specialists.

The funeral included appearances by U.S. Rep. Jon Porter and U.S. Sen. John Ensign, both R-Nev., who offered their condolences to Ramirez's family, including his parents, Robert and Marina Vance.

Ensign said he and other members of Congress would have to live with deaths such as Ramirez's because they voted to enter the war.

"As your representatives in Congress, all we can say is we're sorry. All we can say is we're grateful," Ensign said.

After the hourlong service, Ramirez's casket was placed on a trailer and pulled to the grave site behind a golf cart, followed by a procession of relatives.

As it neared the grave, the procession stopped and a flock of white doves was released into the air.

Marina Vance watched them fly away.

"Tell him I love him. Tell him I love him so much," she yelled to the birds as they climbed into the sky and disappeared.