DE SMET, S.D . (AP) — A soldier killed last month in Afghanistan has been laid to rest in South Dakota.
A funeral service for 38-year-old Army Staff Sgt. Shane Barnard was held Wednesday at Lake Thompson State Park near De Smet. Gov. Mike Rounds in a letter praised Barnard for his service.
Barnard died May 19 of wounds suffered when he stepped on an improvised explosive device. He was serving with the 3rd Ordnance Battalion at Joint Base Lewis-McChord in Washington state at the time.
Barnard is survived by his wife and three children. He is among 31 soldiers with ties to South Dakota who have died in Afghanistan or the Middle East since 2003.
