Final Salute

September 08, 2008 09:34 am

— Karen Fields adn daughter Ryan waited with hundreds of other Williamsburg residents to pay final respects to Sgt. David Keith Cooper. Cooper, 25, was killed Aug. 27 while serving in Iraq after his unit came under small arms fire in Qadasiyah. Fields is a teacher at Williamsburg Independent School District, where Cooper graduated in 2001.
“David was an alumnus, my dad’s a veteran, and it just sort of hit home,” Fields said as she sat on a curb along Main Street Sunday, waiting for Cooper’s funeral procession to pass. Williamsburg Mayor Roddy Harrison called on residents to show support to the family coming downtown and waving American flags.
Across the street, members of Main Street Baptist Church stood next to a banner which read, “We are praying for the family of David Cooper.” Along the route a church member gave the sign of peace as the hearse carrying Cooper’s body passed. Cooper was buried Sunday in Bowlin Cemetery in Jellico, Tenn.

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