ND Soldier Laid to Rest - KXNet - Bismarck/Minot/Williston/Dickinson

ND Soldier Laid to Rest

As an American Hero is laid to rest, strangers come to pay tribute to a soldier they've never met.

Donnell Preskey was with those who lined Memorial Bridge as Specialist Tyler Orgaard's body traveled to it's final resting place.

Tyler Orgaard's dream came true the day he joined the Guard.

But dreams aren't supposed to end this way.

"He gave the ultimate sacrifice and we should respect that," says Dave Rice.

Rice didn't know Specialist Tyler Orgaard, nor did a majority of the people who lined Memorial bridge to witness the hero's last journey.

"Anyone that fights for our country is a hero, and we need to show our respects to him," says Kia Gartner.

Gartner brought the five kids at her daycare to witness the procession.

Gartner says, "I don't know what it teaches them yet, but we need to show support as a community coming together for his family."

Strangers are out here not only to show their respect for Tyler but for his families tough road ahead.

"Anything to support the family, just to help them understand that everyone is with them, everyone is feeling their pain and grief," says Tom Doering.

For some, this pain is familiar...

"It's just like it opened a new wound," says Bruce Basaraba.

This group of patriots had soldiers in the 188th -- a unit that lost two young Bismarck men in 2006.

Sheldon Sime says, "this is the same flag I held when we lost our other two soldiers, powerful thing to be here to support our troops, our families.

This final ride, is more peaceful than his last.

Specialist Orgaard was killed in Afghanistan.

His mission on December 3rd was to detect dangers on roads and keep them safe.

His vehicle struck a roadside bomb, killing two North Dakota National Guard soldiers and injuring another.

Tyler was seven when he told his dad he wanted to be a soldier.

At just 20-years-old he died living out his dream.

Specialist Tyler Orgaard joined the North Dakota National guard shortly before he graduated from Century High School in 2011.

This was his first overseas deployment.