----Source:Marshfield News Harold (Marshfield, Wood Co., Wis.) Wed, Jan 5, 2005

Funeral for fallen soldier tonight

Marshfield News-Herald LOYAL - Gov. Jim Doyle is among those expected to attend today's public visitation and funeral services for a Loyal soldier who was killed in Iraq.

Staff Sgt. Todd D. Olson, 36, died Dec. 27 in the 67th Combat Support Hospital in Tikrit, Iraq, from wounds he received in Samarra on Dec. 26 when a improvised explosive device detonated, according to the U.S. Department of Defense. He was a member of Detachment 1, Company C, of the Wisconsin National Guard's 1st Battalion, 128th Infantry.

The public funeral service will be at 7 p.m. in the Loyal High School gymnasium. The service will be preceded by a public visitation from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. at the high school at 514 W. Central St.

The Rev. Daniel Zimmerman of Trinity Lutheran Church in Loyal and the Rev. Roman Kaiser of St. Anthony's Catholic Church in Loyal will speak during the service. Full military rites will be performed by the Loyal American Legion Post 175 and Neillsville American Legion Post 73.

Central Street between Gwinn and Helm streets will be closed for family and military parking and emergency vehicle use. Although some school parking lots will be closed to the public, the student parking lot on Helm Street will be open.

Parking also will be offered at the Loyal Legion Hall on Union Street, with a shuttle bus running to the school beginning at 5 p.m. The last shuttle bus will leave the Legion at 6:30 p.m.

The school's gymnasium will comfortably seat about 1,500 people, said Loyal Police Chief Matthew Kubista.

All Loyal students will be released at noon today.