The hot sands of Iraq couldn't stop Sgt. Brandon Thomas from thinking about his favorite place on earth.

Anytime the Cottonwood High graduate came home on leave from Iraq, he headed straight for the ski slopes of Deer Valley.

Those slopes are a place full of memories for Thomas' friends and family. Memories of a time before they lost a son, a brother and a comrade.

Thomas died May 7 when two suicide car bombers plowed into a foreign security convoy, killing Thomas and at least 21 other people. The Utah National Guard honored Thomas with full military honors for his funeral Tuesday.

"Skiing brought us together," said Steve Bendly, who worked with Thomas as a ski instructor at Deer Valley. "We always pushed the limit of our abilities to the edge, to the point where he got concussions a lot."

One such concussion came on one of Thomas' last trips home. Thomas and a few friends stopped at Utah's Olympic Park.

The daring group tested their aerial ski skill at the freestyle splash pool. On the last jump of the day, Thomas told friends, "I think I'm going to do a double," Randy Larsen said.

The stunt wasn't successful — Thomas smacked his head on the platform mid-flight.

But little bumps and bruises didn't stop Thomas.

"He seized the day," said his pastor, Eric Van Rhee. "Brandon was a risk-taker. . . . Brandon loved action and adrenaline."

Thomas embraced the motto of the Green Berets: "De Oppresso Liber," a Latin phrase meaning "To Free the Oppressed." Thomas completed the rigorous Green Beret training in December.

Thomas immediately wanted to use his new skills in Iraq, but his 19th Special Forces Group (Airborne) was not scheduled to go abroad anytime soon. So Thomas took a job as a civilian security contractor in Baghdad.

It was a dangerous job. Thomas died May 7 when the suicide bombers attacked the foreign security convoy he was escorting through Baghdad's Tahrir Square.

"He knew the risk going to Iraq was great," Sgt. 1st Class Chris Hird said. "He was in Iraq helping to foster a democracy that is still trying to get on its own two feet and stand on its own."

Maj. Gen. Brian Tarbet challenged members of the 19th Special Forces Group to finish the mission Thomas started.

"He's put down a marker for you," Tarbet said. "We reset, we keep going, and we'll live up to the standard he set.

"Soldier on. Do and complete the work he's left unfinished."

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E-mail: ldethman@desnews.com