MOUNT AIRY
Minutes before the body of a local soldier who died in Iraq arrived in Mount Airy yesterday, a police officer motioned members of the community to line the intersection that his black hearse would pass through.
The roar of 18 motorcycles in the Patriot Guard Brigade echoed as about 30 onlookers prepared to pay respects to 1st Lt. Leevi K. Barnard, who was killed May 21 when an improvised explosive device hit his unit -- the 30th Heavy Brigade Combat Team -- in Baghdad.
Several people wiped away tears when the hearse pulled into Moody Funeral Services, where Barnard's family stood as an honor guard received his coffin, draped in an American flag.
Barnard, 28, was a tall, clean-cut man who liked to go fishing with his uncle and grandpa, said Melissa Nunn of Mount Airy.
His academic growth at UNC Charlotte -- he graduated in 2007 with a bachelor's degree in political science and a minor in Arabic studies -- and his work in the N.C. Army National Guard made him stand out, Nunn said. "I always thought he was really smart," she said.
He was a man "trying to help the Iraqi people get back on their feet," said Nathan Culler, who is familiar with the family.
Even for those who did not know the fallen soldier, the moment brought the effects of war into a tightknit community's backyard.
Eddie Slate of Mount Airy said that the return of a soldier killed in Iraq "makes you aware that it's close to home, not just something that's going on in the papers."
Some of procession's witnesses had their own connections to the conflict overseas.
For Jody Yaeger, whose son Ron recently returned from 4½ years in Iraq, it was a moment to reflect on how she feared for her son's safety during his military service.
"I know I lived with this fear constantly," Yaeger said, standing in front of the Andy Griffith Playhouse, where a sign flashed "We honor 1st Lt. Leevi Barnard."
When Yaeger's son came home from the war unscathed, she felt "joy beyond relief" and immense pride for her country, she said.
Though Barnard's family could not feel the same relief, Yaeger said that his death may unite residents of Mount Airy.
"I think it makes us forget our differences and brings a community together with pride and honor," she said.
Linda Stanfield, whose 36-year-old son Neil is currently a combat photographer in the Baghdad area, said she understands how scary it is to have a family member in Iraq.
"You watch the paper all the time," Stanfield said. "You pray a lot."
She came to the procession to mourn the loss of a local soldier.
"I just wanted this family to feel that somebody cared," she said, "to feel that this man's life mattered tremendously."
Barnard's funeral will be at 2 p.m. Sunday at the Blue Ridge Elementary School in Ararat, Va. Visitation will be from 5 to 8 p.m. today at the school.
Evelyn Bowman-Donhehan, a friend of Barnard's grandmother, waited in front of a local church for the hearse to arrive. When asked what it would feel like to see his coffin pass by, she paused.
Eventually, she found the words to describe what it meant to her.
"You don't have to be old to die."
■ Christian Kloc can be reached at 727-7270 or ckloc@wsjournal.com.
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