A Gardnerville soldier was killed Monday in Baghdad, Iraq, from injuries suffered from enemy contact during combat operations.
Pfc. Phillip Brandon Williams, 21, was serving with the 101st Airborne Division in Fort Campbell, Ky.
Williams' friend Gardnerville Ranchos resident Jake Cervantes said he has known the soldier since the eighth grade.
"We've been best friends for about seven years," he said. "We felt like brothers."
Cervantes said he last saw Williams in August when he was in the Valley for his sister's birthday.
"We talked about the usual stuff, stories he had in mind, memories of stuff we did," Cervantes said. "He was always looking to the future. He was always concerned about his friends and never thought of himself at all. He always wanted the best for his family and friends, and he considered us his family."
Cervantes said Williams played the guitar very well and was part of a circle of artists and creative people.
He said Williams was scheduled to return home in November.
According to the Department of Defense, Williams was assigned to the 4th Brigade Troop Battalion, 4th Brigade Combat Team of the 101st.
He is the son of 19-year South Lake Tahoe Police veteran Brad Williams. His uncle also works at the police department and another uncle is a correctional officer for the California Department of Corrections.
The date for funeral services are pending, but are expected to occur at Eastside Memorial Park in Gardnerville.
Williams was a graduate of Douglas High School.
