Oklahoma soldier killed in Iraq laid to rest

LEXINGTON, Okla. (AP) -- More than 100 people filled First Baptist Church at Lexington today for the funeral of Army Warrant Officer Steven Shephard of Purcell.<br/><br/>A 21-gun salute and a fly-over

Wednesday, July 6th 2005, 2:24 pm

By: News On 6

LEXINGTON, Okla. (AP) -- More than 100 people filled First Baptist Church at Lexington today for the funeral of Army Warrant Officer Steven Shephard of Purcell.

A 21-gun salute and a fly-over by two Blackhawk helicopters marked the burial at Hillside Cemetery near Purcell.

Shephard and Warrant Officer Keith Mariotti of New York were killed June 27th when the Apache helicopter they were piloting crashed north of Baghdad. A witness has told Associated Press Television News he saw a rocket hit the helicopter but the Department of Defense says the crash is still under investigation.

Family spokesman Jeff Pierce Wednesday called Shephard his best friend and says he died doing something he loved -- flying.

Pierce says he has mixed emotions about the war in Iraq, but that Shephard believed in what he was doing and died for a good and worthy cause.