Community Corner

Hundreds Turn Out To Honor Fallen Soldier

A memorial service was held Sunday for Sergeant First Class Kenneth B. Elwell, who was killed in Afghanistan last month.

Today was the local service for Sergeant First Class Kenneth B. Elwell, a Council Rock North graduate who was killed last month in Afghanistan. This is the first report of today’s services. Please check back soon for a video and more coverage of how Elwell was honored locally.

Hundreds of people turned out Sunday to pay respects to Sergeant First Class Kenneth B. Elwell and his family during a service at St. Andrew’s Catholic Church.

Elwell, Council Rock North class of 1997 graduate, died in Afghanistan last month. He was 33.

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He was serving in the Kandahar Province when enemy forces attacked their unit with an improvised explosive device.

Despite the threats, there were no protests at the service.

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Members of the Westboro Baptist Church, the Kansas-based church known for protesting homosexuality at military funerals, said they planned to picket at St. Andrew’s during Elwell’s memorial services. But they did not show up.

Tim Young, Assistant State Captain for the Patriot Guard Riders, said he predicted that would happen.

The Patriot Guard Riders was formed in 2005 to support to families of fallen soldiers. While the group was initially formed to provide a counter protest to the Westboro Baptist Church, they have since changed their objective to focus on providing support for the soldier’s family.

About 40 members of the Patriot Guard Riders were in attendance Sunday.

Young said Westboro Baptist Church threatens to protest at military funerals to get attention and to “agitate people.” Young has been to many military funerals in which the Westboro Baptist Church said they were going to protest.

Rarely, if ever, do they show, he said.

Young recalls one service in Pennsylvania in which four members of the Westboro Baptist Church came to protest.  In that case, members of the Patriot Guard Riders lined up, with their backs to the protesters, holding American flags.

In addition to the Patriot Guard Riders, there were many people there who had never met Elwell but came out to pay respects to him for his service to the country.

“We’ve been here since 2:30, we got rained on,” said Marilyn Teed shortly after 6 p.m. Teed came from Harleysville to hold a flag in honor of Elwell’s service.

Elwell will also be honored with a service this Wednesday at Arlington National Cemetery.


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