At about 250 pounds, Guerrero set out to lose nearly 100 pounds so he could enlist. After months of running and working out at a gym, he reached about 170 pounds and was accepted by the Marines, said Vega.
"After he went in the Marines, it was a complete transformation for him," said Vega. "He worked out at the gym and went running. That's how hard he wanted to be in."
Even the grueling, rigid training he received at boot camp was a joy, said Vega.
He called his mother crying from boot camp one day - not because he wanted to leave, but because he wanted to stay.
"I may not stay here," he told her. The Marines said a tattoo he had of an angel was controversial, and worried it might be gang related.
"That's good," she said, relieved her son might come home.
"No, it's not," he said, worried that his dream of being in the military might soon end. After an investigation, the tattoo was found to be harmless, said Vega.
"If he would have been sent back, that would have been such a disaster for him," said Vega.
Guerrero, who was nicknamed Junior, took comfort in the small things that reminded him of home while he was away.
He loved attending a Catholic church at the base, said Vega.
While in the military, Guerrero was awarded the National Defense Service Medal, the Iraq Campaign Medal, the Global War on Terrorism Medal and the Sea Service Deployment ribbon, according to Kercheval.
Guerrero is the sixth person from the area who has died in Operation Iraqi Freedom since 2003.
He is survived by his mother Rosa, his father Salvador, his 16-year-old brother Rudolpho, and an extended family.
I would like to say thank you to you and the two other men from your unit(1/7) who were also killed for your service and sacrifice for our Country. And to your family, I wish to extend my deepest sympathy.
Semper Fi Devil Dog!