R.I.P. Spc. Brian R. Bowman

Army Spc. Brian R. Bowman

24, of Crawfordsville, Ind.; assigned to the 1st Battalion, 12th Infantry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, Fort Carson, Colo.; died Jan. 3 in Ashoque, Afghanistan, from wounds sustained when insurgents attacked their unit with multiple improvised explosive devices and small-arms fire.

(Taken from www.jconline.com of Jan. 13, 2010) CRAWFORDSVILLE -- Carol Walters sat in a wheelchair Tuesday passing out small U.S. flags to people leaving Woodland Heights Christian Church.

A church member, Walters was volunteering at the visitation for Army Spc. Brian R. Bowman, 24, who died Jan. 3 in Afghanistan.

She urged people to take a flag if they intended to stand along the funeral procession route this morning.

"Brian was a loving Christian man. He always had a smile on his face," Walters said.

Navy veteran Claude Johnson estimated that more than 1,000 people will line the procession route. He is the veterans service officer for Montgomery County.

"I ran an ad in the paper urging people to show up with flags along the route," he said. "Brian deserves it. He was one of us."

Bowman, a combat medic, and two fellow soldiers were killed when their unit came under attack by improvised explosives and small-arms fire. All of the soldiers were from Fort Carson, Colo.

Bowman grew up in Waveland and graduated from Southmont High School in 2004. He is the first Montgomery County resident to be killed in the line of duty during Operation Enduring Freedom.

He was married in 2006 to Casie Carter Bowman.

Flags are flying at half-staff at local government buildings, schools, businesses and residences.

At Arthur's Cafe, across from the county courthouse, Corey Stokes, 23, and Elizabeth Hoeferle, 24, talked about Bowman. Both are Southmont graduates.

"My best friend's husband is in the Army and has been to Iraq twice and once to Afghanistan," Hoeferle said.

"I'm definitely going to stand on the side of the road with my friend.

"I graduated a year before Brian, so I didn't know him real well, but I knew he was a nice guy."

Stokes, who graduated a year after Bowman, said his job will prevent him from attending the funeral or observing the procession.

"We used to talk a lot during lunch," he said of his high school days. "Brian's lunch table was close to mine.

"He was a very friendly guy."

Pastor Tony Thomas said more than 500 people paid their respects Tuesday during the visitation in the Family Life Center at Woodland Heights Christian Church.

Thomas said he can hardly believe that Bowman has died.

"Brian was just here the week before Thanksgiving on R&R," rest and relaxation, he said.

He said four buses have been chartered to take people to the small Waveland Presbyterian Cemetery, which has room for 235 people and limited parking.

Thomas said only people in the buses and church vans will be allowed to go to the cemetery. He said police in Waveland will turn back others in the funeral procession.

The church sanctuary holds 200; 500 more can be seated in the Family Life Center to watch a live video feed of the funeral service.

Thomas said Bowman's family will be presented with medals for the fallensoldier, including the Bronze Star and Purple Heart. The pastor said Maj. Gen. Donald Campbell of Fort Knox, Ky., will speak and make the presentations.