A funeral for Ukraine soldiers brings war to small town
by Patrick J. McDonnell, Los Angeles Times
Mar 16, 2022
4 minutes
STARYCHI, Ukraine â They hoisted the coffins into a pair of beat-up Humvees, then began the slow trek from the church to the village cemetery, past a muddy stream, railroad tracks and a stretch of woods.
A couple of soldiers at the head of the procession held up a wooden cross and a Ukrainian flag. A man in a dark coat carried a picture of one of the fallen.
A military brass band, its members decked out in camouflage gear, played dirges as the cortege moved forward under overcast skies. Residents came out of their homes to line the roadway and pay their respects. Many made the sign of the cross. Some knelt. A few cried.
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