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Local hero: Funeral held for soldier who died 10 years after being shot

GWINNETT COUNTY, Ga. — A Georgia veteran was laid to rest Friday.

Master Sgt. Mark Allen was seriously injured in Afghanistan and was left wheelchair-bound and unable to speak. He died last week 10 years after his injury.

People lined the street, held flags to honor Allen one final time. The Patriot Guard lined the entrance to the church and saluted Allen as he was brought inside.

Allen was shot during a firefight in the 2009 mission to find Army Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl. It left the Purple Heart recipient and father of two with a traumatic brain injury.

"Just a genuinely good person and the world needs more people like that, so to lose that light, that spark in our world is a very sad thing," said Army Spc. Billy Durham.

People came out to pay their respects to a man they say died a hero.

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"Being from a family, who I have a father and three uncles who are all former military, it just was appropriate to come out and give respects to this gentleman," said neighbor Kimberly Dutton.

Visitation was held Thursday at Tim Stewart Funeral Home, 670 Tom Brewer Road in Loganville.

Allen's funeral was held Friday at 11 a.m. at First Baptist Church of Snellville, 2400 Main Street East. He was buried near the marker of a fellow soldier and friend killed in combat.