U.S. Army Sergeant Cameron Thomas
CULPEPER COUNTY, Va. -- U.S. Army Sergeant Cameron Thomas, 23, was laid to rest Saturday, with full military honors, at Culpeper National Cemetery.
Members of the community, including Culpeper Sheriff's Deputies, lined the streets to pay their respect as Thomas' funeral procession drove through town.
Thomas was killed in action on April 27 in Afghanistan. It was his third deployment to the war zone.
"After participating in numerous special operations, he died surrounded by fellow Rangers, standing tall for his country and fellow soldiers in a night raid on a remote ISIS stronghold that took out the head of ISIS in Afghanistan," according to his online obituary. "To those who knew him, Cam was also a hero in everyday life. By the example he set, by the helping hand he extended to friend and stranger alike, by the perseverance and dedication which with he worked to accomplish the goals he set, whether it was mastering a set of stairs on his skateboard or becoming a Ranger. From mental and physical training, to swimming and sky diving, Cameron's preparation for becoming a member of the Army's elite combat team began in the early days of high school, years before his enlistment. Once in the Army, he availed himself of every training opportunity that moved him in the direction of becoming a Ranger earning him the distinction at age 19 of being one of the youngest soldiers to ever earn the Ranger designation. Cam was a walking contradiction. He drove a Jetta and rode a vintage Harley. He could strike a menacing paralyzing pose then flash a smile, wink his deep blue eyes, give you a bear hug and be the most loveable person alive. He was equally comfortable draped in half a dozen small kids as he was in the tools of war. He was smart, spoke Farsi, studied emergency medicine and radio technology."
He is survived by his parents and 11 brothers and sisters.
