(ONN) – People gathered over the weekend to honor a hero who was one of their own.

Private First Class Brandon Kreischer was killed in combat in southern Afghanistan July 29th.

The 20-year-old was assigned to the Army’s 82nd Airborne Division, based in Fort Bragg, North Carolina.

Friends, family, and total strangers gathered in his hometown of Bryan, in Williams County, on Saturday to say thank you and goodbye.

Kreischer leaves behind a wife and a son, due to arrive in December.