Published: May 16, 2006 11:20 am      

Body of fallen soldier to arrive today

The Effingham High School graduate killed in an Army helicopter crash earlier this month is coming home.

The body of Chief Warrant Officer 2 Christopher B. Donaldson will arrive at Lambert-St. Louis International Airport at 5:15 p.m. After a brief private ceremony at the airport, the body will be transported to M.A. Neal Funeral Home in Effingham with an expected arrival in mid-evening.

Visitation is set from 4 to 8 p.m. Thursday at the funeral home, with the funeral set for 10:30 a.m. Friday morning at Faith Lutheran Church in Shumway.

Donaldson was killed May 5 when the helicopter he was riding in during mountaintop combat maneuvers crashed into a ravine in eastern Afghanistan. Military officials have said the crash did not result from hostile fire.

Funeral Director Mark Neal said Donaldson’s body could arrive in Effingham as early as 7:15 this evening. But Neal added he could not pinpoint the exact time, noting the body’s arrival in Effingham would depend on the length of time on the ground in St. Louis.

“I can’t give an exact time,” Neal said. “We may be at the airport for 30 minutes, or we could be there two hours.”

Neal said his best guess was that the body would arrive at the funeral home sometime between 7:30 and 8:30 p.m. He added no ceremony was planned at the funeral home once the body arrived.

“Once we get there, it will just be family for awhile,” he said.

The body will be transported on Interstate 70 from St. Louis to Altamont, where the procession will exit the Interstate on Illinois 128, where members of the Patriot Guard motorcycle unit will join the convoy. Minutes later, the body will be on U.S. 40 for the final 11 miles to Effingham.

Altamont city officials are encouraging citizens to line the route with flags and candles in hand during the procession. Officials added the Altamont VFW will be making flags available to anyone wishing to line the route.

Those wishing to reserve a flag may call the post at 618-483-6344.

Effingham Police Chief Mike Schutzbach said he would station squad cars and fire trucks at intersections along the Effingham portion of the route to provide unimpeded movement of the procession.

“We will be doing as much as we can do to keep them uninterrupted through town,” Schutzbach said.

Bill Grimes can be reached at 217-347-7151 ext. 132 or bgrimes@effinghamdailynews.com