Funeral for a fallen soldier

LOWELL, Mich. (NEWSCHANNEL 3) – On Friday the community of Lowell paid its final respects to Sergeant Lucas Beachnaw as family and friends buried the solider who was killed in Afghanistan.

Beachnaw died after he was shot during small-arms fire while on his second tour of duty.

On Thursday, the military flew Beachnaw's body back to West Michigan and people lined the streets of Lowell to honor the fallen soldier.

On Friday, hundreds of people showed up to pay their respects at a touching memorial from those who knew him best.

Those who knew Beachnaw said he lived and died as a man of courage and integrity.

"It's hard to say goodbye to your best friend," said Sgt. Justin Crivello, who served with Beachnaw. "So we'll all remember Luke and we will all see him again."

"Luke was truly a great person," said Kenny Lowell, a cousin of Beachnaw, "he grew up big and strong, loved the outdoors and loved to hunt and fish and snowboard. Loved to motorcycle even though he only owned it 56 hours and crashed it."

Sgt. Beachnaw grew up in Lowell and went to the high school in town. His friends said he was an adventure nut who loved to have fun, and was also fiercely loyal and skilled, taking top marksman honors in his class as a sniper.

On Friday, his military brothers pledged they'd continue serving in Beachnaw's memory.

"Hopefully when I head back overseas in this next couple of weeks I can get to do the things Luke didn't get to finish out in his deployment, thank you all," said Sgt. Crivello.

The large church that held Beachnaw's funeral seats about 900 and was nearly full.