Rast service info confirmed
Published 12:32 pm Tuesday, April 12, 2011
Photo courtesy of Nicole Ignowski / Benjamin Rast had talked since high school about joining the military, and entered boot camp in 2009.
The visitation and funeral for Benjamin Rast, 23, a sailor and Niles native who was killed in Afghanistan Wednesday, will be held at the Brandywine High School gym, Supt. John Jarpe confirmed this morning.
Photo courtesy of Nicole Ignowski / Benjamin Rast, pictured with former long-time girlfriend Nicole Ignowski. A hospital corpsman, Rast was killed by a hellfire rocket in Afghanistan Wednesday.
The visitation will be held after school Friday from 4 to 8 p.m.; the funeral will be Saturday at 11 a.m.
Hahn Funeral Homes in Mishawaka, Ind. is in charge of arrangements.
Gov. Synder was scheduled to meet with Rast’s father, Robert Rast, about services.
Rast will receive full military honors. Navy officials are expected to attend. the Indiana Department of Veterans will present the family an Indiana state flag on behalf of Indiana Gov. Mitch Daniels, said Hahn funeral director Kevin Wirt.
Following the funeral, a procession from Brandywine to Fairview Cemetery in Mishawaka will be escorted by the Michigan State Police, South Bend city police and Mishawaka city police as well as the Patriot Guard.
Rast’s body is expected to arrive at the South Bend Regional Airport Wednesday.
Rast is a 2006 Brandywine graduate who had been living in San Diego. He was working at a Marines base before volunteering for his first mission in Afghanistan earlier this year.
The military is investigating his death, which may have been caused by friendly-fire. Rast and another sailor were killed by a hellfire rocket in southern Afghanistan.
