U.S. Army Sgt. Christopher Wesley Curry is home for Memorial Day weekend.
Preceded by a state and local law enforcement escort and followed by hundreds of motorcycles, Curry and the miles-long procession wound through Terre Haute just after 1 p.m. Saturday.
Curry, 23, of Terre Haute, died May 4 in Erbil, Iraq, in a non-combat incident and is returning home for interment.
In spite of the pop-up thunderstorms rolling through Saturday, well-wishers lined parts of Third Street and Wabash Avenue as the procession made its way from Interstate 70 to Callahan and Hughes Funeral Home on South 25th Street.
Sarah Rose stood near the corner of Third and Wabash, a small American flag in hand, as the procession turned to head through the heart of downtown.
Rose said she felt it only right to come out and support the family of a man, a soldier who made the ultimate sacrifice for his country.
“My family has a long history of military service, I grew up on Fort Knox in Kentucky, and so I felt it was right for me to come out and support a fallen hero and his family,” said Rose, a USO of Indiana volunteer for much of the past five years.
Curry graduated from Terre Haute North Vigo High School in 2014 and joined the U.S. Army in 2015 as a supply specialist. His most recent post was with 3rd Battalion, 21st Infantry Regiment, 1st Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division at Fort Wainwright, Alaska.
He previously served at both Fort Lee, Virginia, and Weisbaden, Germany.
Husband and wife Rick and Gina Mascari stood near Fourth Street along Wabash, paying their respects to Curry and his family.
Rick Mascari said he never knew Curry, but that his sacrifice for people he’d never met is as much as he needs to know to about his character.
“These service people are making sacrifices for people they’ve never met,” said Rick Mascari, who had sons serve in the Marine Corps, Navy and Army. “What’s it for us to pay that respect back?”
Gina Mascari said she hopes the Curry family can take some comfort in seeing the community turn out Saturday to honor the homecoming of Sgt. Curry.
A sentiment Cayce Evans said the family noticed and appreciates.
“Seeing everyone come out to show the family love and support really means a lot,” said Evans, a cousin of Curry’s. “The fact that police and firefighters and the Patriot Guard Riders all took time to do this means so much to the family.”
Private memorial services will be held Tuesday in Callahan & Hughes Funeral Home. Visitation is 4 to 8 p.m. Monday, following Indiana guidelines for numbers and social distancing.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests a donation be made to Mission22.com, a veteran support agency.
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