Shawn E. Dressler dies 'of wounds suffered when an improvised explosive device detonated near his vehicle during combat operations'

Sergeant Shawn Dressler's death last Saturday marks the sixth casualty of the Iraq War for the Santa Maria Valley.

Dressler was killed June 2nd.

"There ain't no place that I'd rather be, sitting next to you sitting next to me," plays on Sergeant Shawn Dressler's MySpace page, as a slideshow plays of him and his wife.

Instead of celebrating their one year wedding anniversary at the end of this month, Amanda Dressler is now planning his funeral.

A few days ago, the 20-year-old from Georgia received that fateful call from the military.

"I knew when he told me who it was, what had happened," said Amanda.

On this popular website, Amanda said words are not enough to express how much she misses her husband.

The couple just bought a house in Georgia two weeks ago.

A home they will never live in together.

"No matter how upset you were, he could always make you laugh," said Amanda. "He was probably one of the funniest people you'll ever meet."

Shawn graduated from Santa Maria High School in 2002. Teachers said he loved his mechanics courses, was a hands-on kind of guy, the kind that can help others.

"He got along with everybody and could communicate well in training one of the other kids," said Shawn's former teacher Luis Guerra.

Luis Guerra watched Shawn grow up in these classrooms.

"It's hard to believe, to me it seems like the other day he was still in class, I know it's been 5 years, but it seems like was just one of my students here," said Guerra.

An outdoorsman, a soldier, a husband and now an American hero, remembered in the minds of many all across the nation.

Funeral services will be held in Athens, Georgia -- Amanda's home town outside of Atlanta.

From KSBY 6