Those who knew Army SSgt. Matthew Sitton best said he was a loving husband, a proud father and a brave protector of the United States of America.
The Largo soldier was killed by an IED explosion during his third tour of duty in Afghanistan at just 26 years old.
After his wife Sarah spoke Wednesday and invited "everyone" to his funeral, thousands lined Bay area streets Friday as his body was transported by honor escort from MacDill Air Force Base to the Hubbell Funeral Home in Indian Rocks Beach.
Sitton was one of the most highly-trained paratroopers in the Army's 82nd Airborne Division. Ernie Tucker is a member of the Patriot Guard that brought Sitton's body to the church, and during the Vietnam war, he served in the same division as Sitton. "I do this because the troops need to be honored. Their sacrifices need to be remembered and their families need to be honored," Tucker said.
Sitton was a very close friend to Bonnie Hardage and her family, Hardage said Saturday as she paid her respects to the fallen soldier. "He was definitely the light of everybody," she said. "He made jokes. He made sure everyone was happy all the time, and if anyone was sad, he would be the one to pull you aside and try to bring you back up."
Sitton's friends -- some emotional, some stoic -- carried his flag-draped casket through a sea of American flags at his funeral, before being laid to rest.