Hundreds to Gather in Honor of Fallen Soldiers

Midlands residents will line the streets Saturday for the funeral processions of two S.C. National Guardsmen who were killed in Afghanistan last week. 

1st Lt. Ryan Rawl's funeral will be at 10 a.m. at .

Sunset Boulevard between Northwood Road and Old Cherokee Road will close at 9 a.m. for an hour-long procession from to the church. Motorists can expect delays on Sunset Boulevard, North Lake Drive and South Lake Drive during that hour.

Rawl, who was also a deputy with the Richland County Sheriff's Department, will be honored by his fellow deputies. 

"As a deputy, Rawl was willing to stand up to protect and serve. It was with that same pride he did so in his military uniform," Sheriff Leon Lott said in a statement. "He was an example to men and women who wear the uniform everywhere. He was an example to those who put their lives on the line everyday."

The sheriff's department is also encouraging community members to stand along the route with flags and banners in honor of Rawl. 

Citizens will also be lining Highway 6 from Lexington to Edmund Higway for the procession from the church to the burial site at Mount Herman Baptist Church in Pelion, according to the Facebook page for "Stand Up for a Fallen Hero." 

The funeral for Sgt. John David Meador will be held at 10 a.m. Saturday at on St. Andrews Road. 

Residents will be standing along the route from the Caughman-Harman Funeral Home St. Andrews Chapel to the church. 

People will also line St. Andrews Road from the church to Interstate 26 for the procession to Fort Jackson National Cemetary where Meador will be buried.

For more information about Saturday's routes, visit the "Stand Up for a Fallen Hero" Facebook page.

Read the full obituaries for and . 

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