NEWPORT, N.H. (AP) – Snow, sleet and slick roads couldn’t deter hundreds of mourners who turned out Saturday for the funeral of a New Hampshire soldier killed in Iraq.
About 400 people crowded into the South Congregational Church to honor Army Spc. Justin Rollins, 22, who was killed by a roadside bomb blast in Samarra on March 5.
Gov. John Lynch and U.S. Sen. Judd Gregg joined Rollins’ family, friends and comrades, recalling Rollins as a free-spirited, rambunctious youth who found his calling as a paratrooper.
“He will always have a place in the state of New Hampshire, as a hero,” Lynch said in his remarks.
Pastor Donna Leslie told the congregation that everyone who knew Rollins was amazed to see him transform in the military, from a joker and jock in high school to a mature, polished soldier who turned down safer jobs so that he could join his unit in combat.
A 2003 graduate of Newport High School, Rollins played center on the football team and was a shot putter known for pushing himself and often, others to the edge with high-energy antics.
Leslie told how, shortly after Rollins died, his mother, Rhonda Rollins, asked her if Justin was finally an angel.
“Justin was never an angel on Earth,” Leslie said, pausing as family and friends chuckled. “But, yeah, he’s earned his wings.”
The Rev. R. Craig MacCreary added that Rollins approached his military service with vigor, regardless of his assignment. When his unit was sent South in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, Rollins not only saved people, but also made sure their pets were rescued and cared for.
Rollins’ father, Mitchel Rollins, last saw his son during a visit to Ft. Bragg, N.C., in August, shortly before his unit was deployed to Iraq. He asked his son if there were any last-minute things he wanted before shipping out.
“He said to me, ‘Dad, just tell the American people to support us and love us, and we will do our jobs,’ ” his father said.
Rollins decided to join the Army after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. Behind the flag-draped casket were photographs and mementos of Rollins’ life, including a white No. 34 baseball jersey, autographed by Red Sox slugger David Ortiz.
Rollins was a devoted Red Sox fan who met Ortiz at a game in Fenway Park last year. Ortiz also sent an autographed ball to be placed in Rollins’ casket.
Rollins was expected to return home on leave next month, when family members said he planned to propose to his girlfriend, Brittany Murray, and see the Red Sox at Fenway.
A slide show at the service showed scenes from Rollins’ life, from days spent horsing around with his brother, Jonathan Rollins, to pictures of deer hunting trips with his family. One scene that drew laughs showed Rollins in a tuxedo, after picking up his date for the senior prom in a golf cart.
“That was totally Justin,” said Kim Turgeon, 22, of New Bedford, Mass., Rollins’ prom date. “Everyone else in the procession had these big fancy limos, and Justin shows up in a golf cart all decked out.”
Rollins will be buried in Arlington National Cemetery on Monday.
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