WAYCROSS, Ga. – A local soldier who was killed in the line of duty overseas will be remembered Saturday during a funeral service in her native Waycross, Georgia.
The remains of 24-year-old Army Sgt. Kennedy Sanders arrived at Jacksonville International Airport at noon Wednesday. She was escorted by a procession from the airport to Georgia, and hundreds lined the streets along the route to pay their respects.
Craig Bowick was one of the supporters out on Wednesday to support who he called a “lovely hero.”
“She sacrificed a lot for us and our freedom,” Bowick said.
The Waycross community remembers her as a soldier before she was a soldier.
SHARE: Share your message of condolence to the Sanders family
“Her smile just brightened the room. She was just a lovable person,” said Jazmin Cecil.
The community said it’s still in shock.
“She was just a good-hearted person and had good parents. It’s sad that her life was cut short,” neighbor Bubba Hodge said.
That route on Wednesday was designed to carry Sanders past her Waycross home on Eads Street before ending at Fluker Funeral Home on Ossie Davis Parkway. Waycross officials have announced that a section of Eads Street will be renamed Kennedy L. Sanders Way, and June 30 will be known as “Kennedy L. Sanders Day.”
Sanders was one of three soldiers killed during a drone strike in Jordan two weeks ago. President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden were at Dover Air Force Base earlier this month to witness the return of Sanders and the two other Georgia soldiers killed in that strike.
RELATED: ‘We hear them and are here for them’: Jacksonville artist paints portrait of Waycross soldier killed in Jordan | Hand over heart, Biden joins grieving families of US troops killed in Jordan as remains arrive home
President Biden called Sanders’ parents and told them she was being posthumously promoted from specialist to sergeant. They were moved and said they appreciated what the president is doing for veterans.
Sanders’ parents told News4JAX she was mini but mighty, athletic and determined to succeed. They also said she was excited to serve her country and was set to return from deployment in August.
They said the pain of losing her is unbearable.
“I’m still in disbelief. I’m just angry, and I’m upset that I’ll never be able to see my baby again,” her mother, Oneida Oliver-Sanders said. “I won’t be able to touch her, hug her, and see her. I’m anxious because I don’t know what kind of state she’ll be in when we do get to see her.”
Sanders was studying to become an X-ray technician and also coached children’s soccer and basketball. Her loss has punctured the community, as everyone shares their fond memories of Sanders.
Larona McClain, a family friend, recalled a time when Sanders got injured while playing softball but showed resilience.
RELATED: ‘Waycross is suffering today’: Community mourning after US soldier from Georgia dies in Jordan drone attack | Waycross community remembers fallen sergeant as ‘courageous in everything she did’
“I remember us being in Vidalia with our travel team for football, and as tiny as she was in the outfield, a ball had hit her and it messed up her tooth. She went and got that tooth fixed and came back the next day stronger than ever. [...] I can remember her being small and strong-willed and just courageous in everything she did,” McClain said.
Wednesday’s procession route from the airport turned onto Lem Turner, then made a right onto U.S. 1, which took Sanders into Waycross, where the procession winded through town and ended at the funeral home.
From there, Sanders will lie in state from 1-8 p.m. Friday at C.C. McCray City Auditorium. Supporters are encouraged to pay their respects at the public viewing, following a schedule organized by the first letter of their last name:
- (A-F): 1-3 p.m.
- (G-L): 3-5 p.m.
- (M-R): 5-7 p.m.
- (S-Z): 7-8 p.m.
Also, the city of Waycross has declared Friday “Wear Purple Day” in honor of Sanders, whose favorite color was purple.
Sanders’ funeral service is scheduled for 11 a.m. Saturday at the Ware County Middle School Auditorium. It will be followed by another procession through Waycross to Oakland Cemetery on Alice Street, where Sanders will be laid to rest.
In lieu of flowers, the Sanders family has asked for contributions to be made via Zelle to Oneida Oliver-Sanders at oneidaoliver@yahoo.com.