Hundreds are expected to gather in Merced on Friday, to pay their final respects to a soldier killed in action.
Visitation will be held today for Private First Class Lukas Hopper. Services begin at 4 p.m. at Stratford Evans Funeral home in Merced.
Hopper died a week ago, on October 30th from injuries sustained during a vehicle roll-over. He had been in Karadah, Iraq at the time.
The 20-year old paratrooper was scheduled to come home on November 9th, after a year-long deployment. He was a 2007 graduate of Golden Valley High School in Merced.
Hopper will be laid to rest Saturday morning.
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