lepfan
01-19-2006, 06:48 PM
This was in today's Garden City Telegram GC, KS
Group to shield family at funeral
By RACHEL DAVIS
rdavis@gctelegram.com
Posted on Thursday, January 19, 2006 1:05:50 PM
Local law enforcement officials and citizens will work as a team Saturday to shield mourners at a soldier's funeral expected to draw protestors.
Clint Upchurch, a private first class with the 101st Airborne Division and a Garden City resident, was killed in Samarra, Iraq, Jan. 7 by small-arms fire after the convoy he led hit a mine. He was posthumously promoted to the rank of specialist.
According to the Department of Defense, Upchurch died when an explosive went off near his Humvee and enemy forces attacked. He was the gunner on the first Humvee of three that were escorting higher-ranked officials.
Ralph Rojas, a road captain for the Patriot Guard, said he expects at least 100 members of his organization to attend the service. The Patriot Guard is a motorcycle group that, on the request of the family, attends funerals or memorial services of soldiers or veterans and serves as a buffer between the family and protesters.
The memorial service for Upchurch is scheduled for 2 p.m. Saturday at Word of Life Church, 3004 N. Third St.
Members of the Westboro Baptist Church Religious Ministry also are expected to attend the service, denouncing the nation's tolerance of homosexuals and declaring that the deaths of U.S. soldiers in Iraq are signs of God's wrath for such tolerance.
"The primary function of the Patriot Guard is to honor the fallen hero and, secondly, to protect the family," Rojas said Wednesday.
Shirley Phelps-Roper, member of the Westboro Church, said the group will be protesting the funeral despite claims they might not show up. She said she did not know how many members of her church will be in Garden City.
Scott Chalmers, K-9 deputy for the Finney County Sheriff's office, said he will attend the memorial service simply to remember his friend.
"He was a nice guy and always there," Chalmers said. "He was always willing to help. We worked well together."
Chalmers said he first met Upchurch in 2000 when Upchurch worked at the Finney County Jail and he worked for the Holcomb Police Department.
It wasn't until Chalmers transferred to the sheriff's office in November 2001 that he and Upchurch began working alongside each other in the gang unit and out on patrol.
"He had a habit of being out there and finding activity," Chalmers said. "He always had a knack of finding something to get into."
Finney County Undersheriff John Andrews said staff and personnel will be attending the service, including deputies on patrol. He said the deputies will be on call.
Since Westboro Baptist Church has announced it will protest at Upchurch's service, two Garden City residents, Joey Irsik and Scott Good, have called on other community members to help shield the family.
Irsik said the group will form a silent wall, standing shoulder to shoulder, in a horseshoe-shape around the church.
"We are stressing to everyone that this a peaceful gathering and it should be done in silence," he said. "We don't want the service to be about an argument between us and them."
Lenoir Newman, pastor for Word of Life Church, said the protesters are not allowed on church property and more than likely will be kept across Third Street from the church.
According to a Kansas Supreme Court ruling, protesters are not allowed directly in front of a church, cemetery or funeral home.
The Kansas Funeral Picketing Act states that protesting is not allowed one hour before, during or two hours after a memorial service.
Garden City police Capt. Mike Utz said the church is private property and the protesters were not given permission to be on it. He said if caught on the property, the protesters would be trespassing.
Newman said about 500 people will be attending the service, and expects it to be the largest memorial service in Garden City history.
The Garden City Police Department with assistance from the Kansas Highway Patrol will provide security during the service.
Utz said law enforcement will be there to maintain crowd and traffic control and to ensure everyone's constitutional rights are protected.
Upchurch was buried in a funeral service Wednesday at Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia.
Group to shield family at funeral
By RACHEL DAVIS
rdavis@gctelegram.com
Posted on Thursday, January 19, 2006 1:05:50 PM
Local law enforcement officials and citizens will work as a team Saturday to shield mourners at a soldier's funeral expected to draw protestors.
Clint Upchurch, a private first class with the 101st Airborne Division and a Garden City resident, was killed in Samarra, Iraq, Jan. 7 by small-arms fire after the convoy he led hit a mine. He was posthumously promoted to the rank of specialist.
According to the Department of Defense, Upchurch died when an explosive went off near his Humvee and enemy forces attacked. He was the gunner on the first Humvee of three that were escorting higher-ranked officials.
Ralph Rojas, a road captain for the Patriot Guard, said he expects at least 100 members of his organization to attend the service. The Patriot Guard is a motorcycle group that, on the request of the family, attends funerals or memorial services of soldiers or veterans and serves as a buffer between the family and protesters.
The memorial service for Upchurch is scheduled for 2 p.m. Saturday at Word of Life Church, 3004 N. Third St.
Members of the Westboro Baptist Church Religious Ministry also are expected to attend the service, denouncing the nation's tolerance of homosexuals and declaring that the deaths of U.S. soldiers in Iraq are signs of God's wrath for such tolerance.
"The primary function of the Patriot Guard is to honor the fallen hero and, secondly, to protect the family," Rojas said Wednesday.
Shirley Phelps-Roper, member of the Westboro Church, said the group will be protesting the funeral despite claims they might not show up. She said she did not know how many members of her church will be in Garden City.
Scott Chalmers, K-9 deputy for the Finney County Sheriff's office, said he will attend the memorial service simply to remember his friend.
"He was a nice guy and always there," Chalmers said. "He was always willing to help. We worked well together."
Chalmers said he first met Upchurch in 2000 when Upchurch worked at the Finney County Jail and he worked for the Holcomb Police Department.
It wasn't until Chalmers transferred to the sheriff's office in November 2001 that he and Upchurch began working alongside each other in the gang unit and out on patrol.
"He had a habit of being out there and finding activity," Chalmers said. "He always had a knack of finding something to get into."
Finney County Undersheriff John Andrews said staff and personnel will be attending the service, including deputies on patrol. He said the deputies will be on call.
Since Westboro Baptist Church has announced it will protest at Upchurch's service, two Garden City residents, Joey Irsik and Scott Good, have called on other community members to help shield the family.
Irsik said the group will form a silent wall, standing shoulder to shoulder, in a horseshoe-shape around the church.
"We are stressing to everyone that this a peaceful gathering and it should be done in silence," he said. "We don't want the service to be about an argument between us and them."
Lenoir Newman, pastor for Word of Life Church, said the protesters are not allowed on church property and more than likely will be kept across Third Street from the church.
According to a Kansas Supreme Court ruling, protesters are not allowed directly in front of a church, cemetery or funeral home.
The Kansas Funeral Picketing Act states that protesting is not allowed one hour before, during or two hours after a memorial service.
Garden City police Capt. Mike Utz said the church is private property and the protesters were not given permission to be on it. He said if caught on the property, the protesters would be trespassing.
Newman said about 500 people will be attending the service, and expects it to be the largest memorial service in Garden City history.
The Garden City Police Department with assistance from the Kansas Highway Patrol will provide security during the service.
Utz said law enforcement will be there to maintain crowd and traffic control and to ensure everyone's constitutional rights are protected.
Upchurch was buried in a funeral service Wednesday at Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia.