CHICAGO – Upwards of 150 Patriot Guard Freedom Riders are expected to serve as an escort for fallen U.S. Army Sergeant arriving home Friday afternoon.
The body of fallen Sergeant Jeremy Sherman is set to arrive at Midway Airport around noon Friday and will be escorted by the group over 90 minutes south to Watseka.
Sgt. Sherman was one of five American peacekeepers killed in a helicopter crash earlier this month while on a routine peacekeeping mission in Egypt’s Sinai Penisula. Sherman, 23, was the youngest of the unit.
Residents are planning a show of support by lining the streets off I-57 across three communities as the procession makes its way through Gilman, Cresent City, and finally Watseka. Riders will enter the communities sometime between 1 pm and 2 pm Friday.
Roughly 2,000 large American flags are set to line the final stretch of the fallen heroes’ arrival spanning 8 miles to the destination of Knapp Funeral Home in Watseka. The escort may be early thanks to a high-speed escort service provided by the Illinois Highway Patrol.
