Final respects to be paid to a fallen Marine.

Schmieman

Dietrich Schmieman

Only the family and a Marine detail will be present when the remains of Marine Sgt. Dietrich Schmieman are flown into Pasco on Thursday.

After private time at a Bergstrom Aircraft hanger, the Marines will proceed with a dignified transfer to a hearse for a procession that will take the fallen soldier's remains to Sunset Gardens in Richland. Veteran motorcycle groups, law enforcement and first responders will escort Schmieman from Pasco to the cemetery.

But the bypass highway will be bypassed as Schmieman's father has requested his son be granted a final ride around his hometown. His father said that is what his son would have wanted. The public is encouraged to witness the procession along George Washington Way from the interstate to Van Giesen Street.

Please honor this soldier and his family by lining the procession route with flags and other pieces that honor America and her fighting forces.

At the time of his death, Schmieman, a graduate of Hanford High School, was a member of the elite Special Operations Command, serving in the 2nd Raider Battalion at Camp Lejeune, N.C.

He was one of 16 service members killed July 10th when a military cargo plane crashed in a Mississippi field.

Time is tentative, but organizers say to be in your spot to watch around 6 p.m. Einan's Funeral Home at Sunset Gardens expects the procession to arrive between 7 and 7:30 p.m. People are asked to arrive at the cemetery between 4 and 6 p.m.

The public is also welcome at a memorial service at 10 a.m. Saturday at Central Church, 1124 Stevens Drive, Richland.

More information posted here.

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