KARE11.com / MSNBC


ST. PAUL -- The Minnesota prairie winds whipped across the even rows of grave stones at Fort Snelling on Monday afternoon. The winds of far-away war had brought more than 100 mourners to the National Cemetery grounds.

The staccato cracks of an Army rifle salute echoed across the platform where the casket of Sergeant Chester Wayne Hosford, 35, lay in tribute. Family and friends of the slain soldier, who had once lived in Hastings, were joined an Army detachment and by dozens of the Minnesota Patriot Guard. The civilian group brought their motorcycles and their American flags to form an impressive honor guard. Their ranks were bolstered by Minnesota Lieutenant Governor Carol Molnau, who represented Governor Pawlenty in speaking quietly with Hosford's family. Afterwards, she dabbed at her own tears repeatedly and spoke with each of the flag-bearing Patriot Guard members.

Hosford died in a July 6th, bomb blast in Konduz, Afghanistan. His death is yet another sad moment in a week of such events involving Minnesota service members. Patriot Guard State Captain Doug Bley says he can recall no period of tragedy like this one. "No, this is the worst one we've had since the Patriot Guard really became active in Minnesota. This has just been the worst one, by far. With the number of them and just the situations. We stand for these families and, as they are inviting us, we will stand."

National Chair Merrillee Carlson of the support group Families United for Our Troops attended another funeral Monday. At Camp Ripley near Little Falls, a Vietnam War era veteran was laid to rest. Carlson, of Hastings, is a Gold Star mother. She lost her own soldier son in 2005. She says each "fallen hero brings the pain and the pride back fresh. For me, my thoughts go immediately to the families as they're struggling to accept the worst that anybody ever wants to accept, but we gotta remember the guys that are in the field that have lost their buds that are struggling so hard to continue their job."

In fact, members of Minnesota's Red Bull National Guard division gathered in Iraq in a tearful ceremony on Monday to remember their fallen comrades. The division is in the midst of a 12 month long deployment to provide security in Southern Iraq. In just days, the state lost 3 of the Red Bulls to a Basra, Iraq mortar attack. They are Medic Spc. Carlos Wilcox, 27, of Cottage Grove, Military policemen Spc. Daniel Drevnick, 22, of Woodbury and Spc. James Wertish, 20, of Olivia. Then came word of the Afghanistan deaths of Air Force Captain Thomas Gramith, 27, of Eagan. Gramith died in a crash of his fighter jet. Finally, Army Ranger Benjamin Kopp, 21, of Rosemount died at Walter Reed Army Hospital from wounds suffered when he was shot in Afghanistan.

The moments of "pain and pride" at Fort Snelling on Monday will be repeated at least 5 times for young and fallen Minnesotans in the coming days.


Courtesy of MSNBC.com and their Minneapolis/St. Paul affiliate KARE11.com