Editing Post

Panora, La. - Mourners gathered in the United Methodist Church Friday for the funeral of Army Spc. Michael Mills, one of the 28 people killed Feb. 25 when an Iraqi suicide bomb exploded.

Mills was one of 191 Americans killed in the war. The 23-year-old had carried on a family tradition when he joined the Army.

Flags at half-staff, an altar surrounded by flower sprays tied with red, white and blue ribbons, and tears expressed the grief of the 525 funeral attendees.

The town’s 1,100 people considered Mills to be a hometown boy, and his funeral provided a somber contrast to the joyous reunions held for returning troops throughout the country.