The Switzerland County community continues to mourn the loss of Sergeant Kenneth Booker as the U.S. Army continues to make plans for his arrival back in Switzerland County and his funeral services.
The U.S. Army’s Office of Mortuary Affairs is handling all of the arrangements for the transport of Kenneth Booker’s body back to the county, and also the particulars of the funeral service for one of America’s true heroes.
Locally, Haskell and Morrison Funeral Home is working with the military in making arrangements, and are receiving updates and correspondence as the specifics of the transport are made.
Roger Nay of Haskell and Morrison Funeral Home said that the military has told him that he should expect another update either tomorrow (Friday) or Saturday, but no final details have been disclosed.
School superintendent Tracy Caddell said that the funeral is expected to be held in the high school gym, but is also waiting for final arrangements to be confirmed by the government.
He said that if the funeral is held during the school day, school will not be held that day in honor of Kenneth Booker. Details of the school closing will be shared with parents as soon as it is known.
Kenneth Booker is expected to be buried in Slawson Cemetery near Bennington.
Sergeant Kenneth Booker, 25, was killed in action near Mukhisa, Iraq on Wednesday, November 14th, at 8:28 p.m. He was serving with the U.S. Army as part of Operation Iraqi Freedom.
Sergeant Booker when the Stryker eight-wheel-drive vehicle that he was commanding was struck by a new form of improvised explosive while on patrol.
Kenneth Booker joined the Army shortly after graduating from Switzerland County High School in 2000, and was on his third tour of duty in Iraq. He served in Iraq and Afghanistan during previous deployments, and served with the 82nd Airborne that is based at Fort Bragg, North Carolina.
Following those two tours of duty, Kenneth Booker was transferred to Fort Lewis, Washington to work in military intelligence, but the desk job didn’t suit him, so he transferred to the infantry, joining the Stryker Brigade Combat Unit stationed at Fort Lewis.
He was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 23rd Infantry Regiment, 4th Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division at Fort Lewis.
His family said that Kenneth Booker transferred into the infantry unit knowing that it was being deployed to Iraq; and the unit headed to Iraq approximately six months ago.
Kenneth Booker had recently returned to Switzerland County on an 18-day leave, returning on September 12th.
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He is survived by his father and stepmother, SSG Charles Raymond and Brenda Booker of Vevay; his mother and stepfather, Becky and Robert Graham of Milton, Kentucky; his brother, Kaleb Daniel Booker of Madison; his wife, Betzaida Booker of Fayetteville, North Carolina; his paternal grandmother, Inez Booker of Moorefield; his paternal grandfather, 1SG Raymond H. Booker (Retired) of Burkesville, Kentucky; his paternal great-grandmother, Dorothy McMackin of Moorefield; his stepbrothers, Keith Briner and wife Angie of Indianapolis and Robert Graham, Jr., of Houghton, Louisiana; his stepsister, Katrina Graham of Houghton, Louisiana; his aunts, Alice Powell and husband Darrell of Madison and Eula Butler and husband Shan of Vevay; and his great-great-aunt, Ruby McMackin of Bennington.
A more complete obituary of Sergeant Kenneth Raymond Booker is found on page 3 of today’s edition.
When dates, times, and details of the funeral are established, Vevay Newspapers will post them on its website. Check www.vevaynewspapers.com for more information as it becomes available.