CEDAR FALLS - The Rev. John Fuller stated the obvious first.

"Let's be real honest about things. None of us want to be here … ," he said.

"But here we are. This is where God has us."

Friends, family members, military colleagues - and others from the community who wanted to honor a soldier they never even knew - assembled Thursday afternoon at Prairie Lakes Church.

Spc. Travis Vaughn died Feb. 18 while serving the United States in Afghanistan. He was 26.

Emotion, beginning with hugs in the church lobby and ending with a final prayer in Memorial Park Cemetery in Waterloo, illustrated the pastor's idea.

Fuller addressed the young soldier's life from a spiritual perspective, offering comfort he once again acknowledged might be difficult to accept.

"This is a sad day," he said. "But on a whole other realm, it's not."

Fuller noted Vaughn surrendered his will to Jesus Christ about two years ago

"At that moment, his eternal destiny shifted," the pastor said.

Sgt. Brian Akerman focused on his friend's time on earth. The two men served in the Army's B Company, 2nd Battalion, 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment.

Akerman described Vaughn as "a stand-up guy" known for his honesty and inability to cut corners when assigned a task.

Vaughn also shared his skills in self-defense, fighting and wrestling maneuvers.

"And they all hurt," Akerman said.

Vaughn died in a helicopter crash that claimed the lives of eight U.S. soldiers. Another 14 suffered injuries. The military blamed the incident on a mechanical problem, not enemy fire.

Vaughn graduated from Cedar Falls High School in 1999 and lived in Tennessee with his wife, Heather, and stepson, Taylin. He joined the Army about three years ago and had only been overseas a few weeks when the helicopter went down.

His wife issued a statement earlier this month.

"Travis loved serving in the Army and took it very seriously. Flying with fellow Night Stalkers and supporting Special Operations forces gave Travis a strong sense of camaraderie and a great deal of pride," she said. "Travis looked forward to his missions, but also returning to his family."

Later, as the funeral procession entered the cemetery, cars drove past an American flag at half-staff. The banner clung to the pole, wet and coated with ice, as more than a hundred vehicles filtered past.

Members of the Patriot Guard Riders, a group that honors American soldiers, arrived first on motorcycles and in pickup trucks and vans. They formed a line, holding additional American flags.

The Rev. Fuller read from Psalm 23 during the graveside service. Sleet, then snow, pattered on a tarp as Fuller delivered his remarks. As he finished, a bagpipe player in a kilt sounded the opening notes of "Amazing Grace."

Seven soldiers shouldered rifles, firing three volleys. Vaughn's widow did not flinch, looking straight at her husband's casket. She later received a folded American flag.

Even before leaving for duty, Vaughn found an enduring way to connect with Taylin. He read "No Matter What," a children's book explaining the depths of love. Mourners on Thursday at the church heard Vaughn's recording as he portrayed both a parent and child.

"I'll always love you, no matter what," he read.

A younger character in the book responds with skepticism.

"'But does love wear out? Does it break or bend? Can you fix it or patch it? Does it mend?'"

The tape and Vaughn's conclusion produced a fresh round of tears.

"'We may be close. We may be far. But our love still surrounds us, wherever we are.' The end."

Contact Dennis Magee at (319) 291-1451 or dennis.magee@wcfcourier.com. Staff writer Jon Ericson contributed to this story.