Fernando Santos laid to rest

Loved ones gathered on Tuesday afternoon to bury a soldier killed in Iraq in July.

Staff Sgt. Fernando Santos, 29, was laid to rest in the San Fernando Cemetery No. 3 with full military honors near his grandmother, who raised him.

Santos was killed along with two others by an IED blast while patrolling the streets of Baghdad.

Santos was given the Purple Heart and bronze star for his sacrifice.

Loved ones said they remember Santos as a leader of men and a devoted family man.

Among those who attended were Mayor Phil Hardberger, his wife Linda, and councilwoman Delicia Herrera

The parents of other soldiers who were killed in Iraq also attended the funeral.

Kimberly Rairdan, whose son was killed in Iraq in 2005, said her son wanted her to be there.

"I know that my son wants me to give back in some small way," Rairdan said. "For me, this is one of the small ways I can give back.

Santos leaves behind a widow and four children, including an infant girl he barely knew.

From KSAT 12

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Fernando Santos dies 'of wounds sustained when an improvised explosive device detonated near his vehicle'