Posted 11:21 pm Wednesday, August 08, 2012
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Burial set for outside home state
The father of fallen U.S. Army 1st Sgt. Russell Bell said his son will not be buried in Tyler, but at another location.
“We don't have all the details yet, but we believe it will either be Arlington National Cemetery or Fort Bragg National Cemetery where he will be buried,” Jim Russell told the Tyler Morning Telegraph Tuesday afternoon via phone.
The newspaper spoke with the family after reports circulated that members of the Westboro Baptist Church planned to protest Bell's funeral service.
Russell was killed when an improvised explosive devise detonated during operations in Zharay District, Kanadahar Province, Afghanistan on Thursday.
Also killed in the explosion was Staff Sgt. Matthew Sitton, 26, of Largo, Fla.
Both men were paratroopers assigned to Headquarters, Headquarters Company, 1st Battalion, 508th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division.
Westboro Baptist in Kansas has held disruptive protests at military funerals because they believe the deaths are a punishment from God.
Jonathan Phelps, of Westboro Baptist, tweeted that the church planned to picket Bell's funeral. Russell did not have anything to say about the group's planned protest.
“We don't have all the details yet, but we believe it will either be Arlington National Cemetery or Fort Bragg National Cemetery where he will be buried,” Jim Russell told the Tyler Morning Telegraph Tuesday afternoon via phone.
The newspaper spoke with the family after reports circulated that members of the Westboro Baptist Church planned to protest Bell's funeral service.
Russell was killed when an improvised explosive devise detonated during operations in Zharay District, Kanadahar Province, Afghanistan on Thursday.
Also killed in the explosion was Staff Sgt. Matthew Sitton, 26, of Largo, Fla.
Both men were paratroopers assigned to Headquarters, Headquarters Company, 1st Battalion, 508th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division.
Westboro Baptist in Kansas has held disruptive protests at military funerals because they believe the deaths are a punishment from God.
Jonathan Phelps, of Westboro Baptist, tweeted that the church planned to picket Bell's funeral. Russell did not have anything to say about the group's planned protest.
