He made the ultimate sacrifice by giving his life for his country. Thursday, friends, family and fellow Marines honored a local hero.

Lance Corporal Ryan Miller was on his second deployment in Iraq when he died September 3 in a roadside bomb attack.

It was a solemn day and celebration of a man that family and friends are calling a hero. Thursday morning, the 21-year-old Gahanna resident was laid to rest.

The pews of the church were filled to honor the 2003 DeSales High School graduate who was on his second tour of Iraq when the Humvee he was riding in hit an explosive device.

To the congregation, filled with family, friends and fellow Marines, there was a military salute and the dedication of a flag to the family that loved Ryan so much.

There were words from those whose lives he touched, especially the lives of his family.

The procession rode by Gahanna Lincoln High School where students will stand to honor Ryan. His final resting place is Resurrection Cemetery in Delaware County.