Posted at: 07/23/2009 7:32 PM
Updated at: 07/23/2009 10:56 PM
By: Melanie Bloom

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Local Teacher Remembers Fallen Soldier

(ABC 6 NEWS) --All three were members of the 34th Infantry, Red Bulls division.

Today, the families of the young men begin the long process of saying goodbye.

The remains of specialist Carlos Wilcox were the first to arrive in St. Paul.

A police escort followed by Patriot Guard riders led the hearse from the runway.

As it turned the corner, a flag draped casket could be spotted in the window.

The remains of Specialists Dan Drevnick of Woodbury and James Wertish of Olivia were also returned. 

It was just one week ago, when the three lost their lives during a missile attack in Iraq.

Tonight, one west-central Minnesota town is mourning their loss.

But pain is being felt, here, too.

When Doctor Mike Funk came to head up the Albert Lea school district, he never imagined a tragedy would yank him back to his previous post with the Bird Island, Olivia, Lake Lillian school district.

Sadly, bold high school graduate, 20-year-old James Wertish was killed in Basra last week.

"I’d had some communication with people in Iraq and everything had been very quiet to this point in time, so this just came out of nowhere and so it was a total shock,” says Dr. Funk.

Doctor Funk actually had James in class.

"His junior year, summer of his junior year, he went and joined the National Guard and went to basic training and then graduated in 2007.  Quiet kid and not a student you had a lot of visibility on, but a typical good student,” says Dr. Funk.

Now he'll mourn the loss of a former student and guardsman, from 175 miles away, though with his former community close to his heart.

We've learned James Wertish will be laid to rest Monday at 11 o'clock at Saint Mary's Catholic Church in Bird Island.

A wake is planned in Woodbury for 22-year-old Danny Drevnick Friday.

27-year-old Carlos Wilcox of Cottage Grove was also killed, arrangements are unknown.

A fourth guardsman, Specialist Jacob Benson from Willmar was hurt, but is recovering.