LEAVENWORTH, Kan.– Family and friends of 23-year old Lieutenant Justin Sisson gathered at Leavenworth National Cemetery Saturday to pay their final respect and bury their loved one.
The Blue Valley West graduate was killed by a suicide bomber in Afghanistan last Monday.
Hundreds showed up for the funeral, even people who didn’t know Sisson personally.
“Even though I didn’t know the man, I pretty much knew what he stood for,” said Patriot Guard Member Keith Harold. “He was a friendly man, we understood that. When the bomber approached, he probably asked if there something he could do for him. That’s war…sad, sad thing.”
The funeral began Saturday morning at Church of the Resurrection in Leawood and from there, everyone traveled to Leavenworth.
“To see the small children with the flags out there and to see the whole families brought out…to see the people who on a Saturday were either working or recreating stop just for a moment and see our parade was amazing,” said Harold.
Sisson was laid to rest in a place where he’s surrounded by men and women just like him.
“If someone ever wants to get an idea about freedom all they have to do is come here and see the thousands and thousands of headstones and see that everyone had a family, and everyone had a story, and everyone served so we can be here today,” said Harold.
Now Sisson’s story is set in stone. All who knew him, or even just knew of him, say it was nothing short of an honor.
Both of Sisson’s grandfathers are also buried in the Leavenworth National Cemetery.
