Funeral Held for Soldier - KXNet - Bismarck/Minot/Williston/Dickinson

Funeral Held for Soldier

Flags in North Dakota are flying at half staff today - in honor of a fallen soldier.

On this December 11th, Sergeant First Class Darren Linde was laid to rest.

Sergeant Linde's funeral was held this afternoon in Sidney, Montana.

Hundreds of people came to the Richland County Events Center to pay tribute to the man who spent most of his 41 years in Sidney.

Sergeant Linde was killed last Monday while on patrol in Afghanistan.

A bomb exploded as he and fellow National Guard soldiers carried out their mission of making roads safe for others.

Jim Olson has more from Sidney, Montana.

If there was one theme running through the funeral for Sergeant First Class Darren Linde, it was love. From the simple display of his medals and awards that included his most treasured Christmas gift ever...

To the words of his grieving wife Adrienne...

To the music shared by one of his daughters...

The Richland County Events Center in Sidney rang out with the feelings shared by all who gathered to remember and honor the man hundreds knew, and so many loved.

They reflected on the practical joker Darren, on the family man Darren, on the good friend Darren...

And on the dedicated soldier Darren.

The speakers at this service acknowledged that the roadside bomb that took Sergeant Linde's life was out of anyone's control. But they also said it was in everyone's ability to keep spreading the love that Darren gave so freely - as a tribute to a true hero.

Ian Placek, the ND Guard soldier from Bismarck who was wounded in the attack attended today's funeral in a wheelchair with injuries to his leg.

Also killed in that bombing was 20-year-old Specialist Tyler Orgaard of Bismarck. His funeral will be held Thursday in Bismarck.

A third National Guard soldier from North Dakota was injured in the blast and is recovering.

In addition to flags flying at half staff today - the governor has asked they be displayed in the same manner Thursday, when Specialist Orgaard is laid to rest.

The men were members of the 818th Engineer Company based in Williston.