NEWNAN, Ga.,None — For most of Sunday afternoon, members of the Patriot Guard Riders held American flags and flanked the entrance of First Baptist Church in Newnan to honor a hero.
Just after 3 p.m., Capt. Nick Whitlock's friends and family carried his flag-draped casket into the church. The 29-year-old U.S. Air Force pilot died earlier this month in a plane accident in Africa.
Air Force leaders said Whitlock and three comrades were returning from a mission in support of operation-enduring freedom when their plane went down.
"I'm an Air Force veteran," Todd Walker, a Patriot Guard Riders member told Channel 2's Erica Byfield. "I feel like Nicholas is a brother of mine that I never got to meet."
Inside of the church, where scores of observers gathered, airmen saluted their fallen friend. Some who did not know Whitlock said felt compelled to attend the service, including Renee Willis and her son.
"We brought our scouts here because we thought it was real important for them to see this and for them to show their respect," said Willis, who lives in Coweta, the county where Whitlock lived.
Whitlock's body was returned to Coweta on Saturday. In support of his sacrifice, people lined the streets for the fallen airman, who leaves behind many loved ones, including his wife.
"We are here to honor the sacrifice that Nicholas Whitlock made and his family has made," Walker said.
Authorities said the cause of the plane crash that claimed Whitlock's life is still under investigation.