Staff Photo by Angela Lewis The Honor Guard carries the body of 1st Sgt. John Blair from Trinity Baptist Church in Calhoun, Ga. on Wednesday following funeral services. 1st Sgt. Blair was killed in Afghanistan June 20.

A procession from Trinity Baptist Church in Calhoun, Ga., is en route to the National Cemetery in Canton, Ga., for the burial of First Sgt. John Blair.

Hundreds of mourners packed the church this afternoon for a memorial service for the fallen Georgia National Guardsman, who was killed in action June 20 in Afghanistan.

“We will all mourn this loss, but we cannot allow it to beat us,” said Maj. Gen. William T. Nesbitt of the Georgia National Guard during the service.

FIrst Sgt. Blair leaves behind a wife, Donna, two stepchildren and a young grandson, all of whom attended the service this afternoon.

For complete details, see tomorrow’s Chattanooga Times Free Press.