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Staff Sgt. James Hunter died June 18 in Afghanistan.

Staff Sgt. James Hunter’s long journey from Afghanistan, where he died last week, to his final resting place in the Lexington Cemetery will wind through Winchester on Saturday.
Hunter, a soldier from Fort Campbell and the son of Winchester resident William “Tom” Hunter, was killed June 18 by an insurgent bomb blast while he was on foot patrol. The Lexington native grew up in northern Ohio, where his body was returned last week.
His funeral will be at 11 a.m. Tuesday at Winchester First United Methodist Church, where his father is a member, and his burial will follow in Lexington. Rolan Taylor Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
Winchester Mayor Ed Burtner, a friend of Tom Hunter’s, said today the young soldier’s body is expected to arrive in Winchester sometime after 1 p.m. Saturday. The route from Interstate 64 will begin at the 96 interchange, proceed down Maple Street to Washington, then along Main Street to the funeral home.
Burtner said he hopes there will be a large crowd of flag-waving residents along the procession route, especially on Main.
“I encourage the public to line the route and to bring flags, if they have them, in honor and respect for Staff Sgt. Hunter,” Burtner said.
The mayor said there would be a brief ceremony at the funeral home with the Rev. James Williams, pastor of First United Methodist, offering a prayer for Hunter.
On Tuesday, following the full military funeral at the church, the Lexington Police Department’s motorcycle patrol will escort Hunter’s remains from the church on Main Street to Lexington Avenue and along U.S. 60 into Lexington to the cemetery. That will be another opportunity, Burtner said, for the townspeople and Clark County residents to pay their respect to the fallen warrior.

Contact Randy Patrick at rpatrick@winchestersun.com.