Funeral draws protesters

TURBOTVILLE — One family’s somber remembrance of their beloved son and husband was marred Saturday by a loud anti-homosexual protest near the Zion Evangelical Lutheran Church in Turbotville.Funeral services with full military honors were held here for 2nd Lt. Christopher E. Loudon, 23, who died Oct. 17 in Baghdad, Iraq. Services also were held Thursday in Loudon’s hometown of Brockport.The soldier will be buried in Arlington National Cemetery.Turbotville Mayor Mark Reasner said the protesters, from the Topeka, Kansas-based Westboro Baptist Church, contacted the state police at Milton and informed officers that they “were going to be there. There was no permit issued, to the best of my knowledge.”The state police then contacted the Zion Church, Reasner said. A state police spokesman at Milton confirmed the identity of the protesters and said they have made national news for their protests of military funerals across the country. The church members claim that soldiers’ deaths are a sign that God is punishing America for tolerating homosexuality.Westboro Baptist Church members planned to picket the funerals of six servicemen Saturday, including three in Pennsylvania. They are scheduled to stage a protest at the funeral of Army Sgt. 1st Class Tony Knier Tuesday at the Wellsboro Firemen’s Annex, according to a Web site. Loudon’s family and his wife, Jacey (Laidacker) Loudon of Muncy Valley, had no comment at the services. Saturday’s service was closed to the media.Several members of the armed forces and of the Patriot Guard Riders attended to show their support of the family and for Loudon’s sacrifice, and townspeople gathered around the church while services took place inside at 11 a.m.“I’m retired military and I feel strongly about supporting our troops,” said retired Army Maj. Tom Boyle of Loyalsock Township.Boyle, a veteran of the Vietnam War, held a flag and stood with about nine other people representing the Patriot Guard Riders, a collection of like-minded individuals who “attend the funeral services of fallen American heroes as invited guests of the family,” according to its Web site.“We’re here to show our respect for the sacrifice of soldiers such as 2nd Lt. Christopher E. Loudon and their families,” said ride captain Joe Zinobile of Robinson. “We’re here to support his family and other mourners.”If necessary, the Patriot Guard also would stand between Loudon’s family and friends, shielding them from interruptions created by protesters. The protesters who did stand on a street corner about two blocks from the church sang loudly and carried signs but did not approach mourners. They disbursed by 11 a.m. and were closely watched by several state police officers.Ruth Reibsome of Turbotville said she saw the protesters as she drove through town.“The only sign I saw — that just broke my heart — said ‘I hate dead soldiers,’ ” she said.Reibsome returned home to call other members of the Zion Evangelical congregation, and she and her daughter, Lori Snyder, made coffee for the Patriot Guard members who stood watch outside until the services ended at 12:30 p.m.“My heart just goes out to them,” Reibsome said of Loudon’s family.Loudon was born March 25, 1983, in DuBois, and was the son of Randy and Susan Loudon. One of his brothers, 1st Lt. Nicholas Loudon, is serving in Iraq.The deceased left for Iraq in July, as a member of the 4th Infantry Division, 2nd Platoon, C Co., out of Fort Hood, Texas.“This war is affecting families — moms and dads and spouses — not just troops,” said Sgt. 1st Class George Dalykas of Exchange.Dalykas, a U.S. Army Reservist who returned from Iraq about a year ago, heard of the protesters and came to stand for and support his fellow soldiers.“These people are ridiculous,” he said. “They don’t know how good they have it. The whole town is in an uproar.”Some called the protesters “misguided” but admitted that they had a right to speak their opinions, though that privilege comes through the sacrifice of human lives.“Our soldiers are fighting for their rights,” Dalykas said. “They are fighting and dying so people like these can come and protest. It’s their freedom.”Jinny Weidenhamer of Turbotville said she “just wanted to show my respect” for the deceased soldier. She “adopted” two young Marines who were deployed in September and are serving near the Syrian border.“I’ve been sending packages and writing letters to them,” Weidenhamer said of the two soldiers, one of whom is from McEwensville. She plans to bake cookies and make seasoned pretzels for the troops, as part of their holiday packages.

DO THESE MISGUIDED PROTESTERS KNOW THAT BECAUSE OF THAT DEAD SOLDIER THEY ARE ABLE TO STAND ON THE CONER SING THEIR DISTASTFUL SONGS, AND WAVE THEIR SIGNS....