Army Pfc. Herrgott was assigned to the 1-36th Infantry Regiment, 1st Armored Division, Wiesbaden, Germany. Herrgott was outside the National Museum in Baghdad in his Bradley tank doing his watch as guard duty. He had slid up into the gunner's seat - the gunner's hatch - and a sniper shot him in the neck. He was rushed to the hospital but they were unable to keep him alive. Jim graduated from Shakopee High School in 2001 and was a quiet man who was starting to find his way in the world with the help of the military. The Army gave him a little discipline, a little guidance in his life and he was getting on track. He hoped to earn enough money in the Army to become a police officer. Jim was fun loving, adventurous, respectful, but not always someone who followed all the rules. He loved NASCAR racing and hanging out with his friends. Herrgott was buried among the pine and ash trees in Valley Cemetery.∼July 2003: Duty faithfully performed
Pfc. Edward J. Herrgott, believed to be the first Minnesotan to die in Iraq, was laid to rest with full honors in his hometown of Shakopee.
American flags throughout Shakopee flew at half-staff Tuesday to honor a native son who was laid to rest 12 days after an Iraqi sniper killed him.
Barely a month after his 20th birthday, Edward James Herrgott - universally known as Jim - was eulogized as a man " willing to put his life on the line for the well-being of others," said the Rev. Gerold Sevig. "He was killed while sharing his life, seeking peace for a troubled people."
Herrgott was shot in the neck July 3 while manning the gunner's hatch of a Bradley fighting vehicle outside the National Museum in Baghdad. He had taken the place of soldiers who had been wounded.
"Thank you for giving him to us to know and love," Sevig told dozens of family members during the service in St. John's Lutheran Church as they stared mutely at Herrgott's flag-draped coffin. Herrgott is believed to be the first Minnesotan to die in Iraq.
Hundreds of mourners jammed the church a few blocks from downtown Shakopee, including dozens of his fellow soldiers. Among the mourners were Gov. Tim Pawlenty and his wife, Mary.
Army Brig. Gen. Roger Nadeau honored Pfc. Herrgott from the pulpit, posthumously awarding him the Bronze Star for "meritorious service in Iraq from 19 March to 2 July," and a Purple Heart for his fatal wound. Nadeau presented the medals in a green leather case to Herrgott's parents, Edward and Marcia.
Herrgott means "Lord God" in German, and Sevig invoked the love of God when he introduced the venerable 23rd Psalm as a passage "that reminds us the Lord watches over us and guides us all the days of our lives." That said, he grimly underscored the brevity of Herrgott's life and added simply: "I don't know why this happened."
The war that has so far claimed the life of Herrgott and 219 other Americans demonstrates that "the world was and is a hostile place," Sevig said. "The reasons for war, pain, suffering, killing and dying are as old as humankind."
Outside the sanctuary, before the funeral began, Herrgott's body lay in full dress uniform in an open gunmetal-gray coffin. Propped up nearby was a photo montage, showing him at stages of his life: a smiling toddler, a determined martial arts student, a proud high
school graduate, a new soldier. In one of the photos, he's showing off a tattoo of his family name snaking across his upper back.
After graduating from Shakopee High School in 2001, he joined the Army the following January with the thought of bringing some discipline to what had occasionally been a wild life. He was also planning to use the service as a financial springboard to college, where he planned to study to become a police officer.
Citing his frequent scrapes with the law, he had told his mother: "Ma, I know the ins and outs of it." That desire to devote a career to police work was additional proof of his deep desire to help other people, Sevig said.
At Valley Cemetery, on the east edge of town, hundreds of people gathered amid the headstones in the shadow of evergreen and ash trees. Many of them held red, white or blue balloons. Sevig beckoned them to release the balloons as a symbol: "We release our lives to God's care." They wafted away in the breeze, disappearing over the horizon.
Herrgott's parents winced at the sound as their son was honored with a 21-gun salute. After members of the Army honor guard precisely folded the flag that had covered the coffin, Marcia Herrgott hesitated before accepting it, as if it were too painful to touch.
As the sound of the gunfire echoed through the cemetery, an Army bugler standing a short distance away played "Taps," the mournful notes of the timeless military tattoo signaling the end of an honored soldier's life.
Herrgott was buried in a family plot, near the headstone
belonging to his paternal grandparents. As the mourners drifted away toward to the local Veterans of Foreign Wars post for lunch, one of the last to leave was T.J. Kewatt, one of Herrgott's cousins and his best friend.
Kewatt placed a final rose on the coffin, barely able to talk to the family members who embraced him. He was just back from Iraq, where he, too, served in the Army.
Jim and T.J. never managed to cross paths in Iraq, but Kewatt had the job of bringing his cousin's body back home last weekend.
Bob von Sternberg is at [email protected].
∼Pfc. Herrgott, 20, of Shakopee, Minn died on July 3 in Baghdad Iraq. Herrgott died from a gunshot wound while on patrol. He was assigned to the 1-36th Inf. Reg., 1st Armored Div. Wiesbaden Germany.
Pfc. Edward J. Herrgott, believed to be the first Minnesotan to die in Iraq, was laid to rest with full honors in his hometown of Shakopee.
American flags throughout Shakopee flew at half-staff Tuesday to honor a native son who was laid to rest 12 days after an Iraqi sniper killed him.
Barely a month after his 20th birthday, Edward James Herrgott - universally known as Jim - was eulogized as a man " willing to put his life on the line for the well-being of others," said the Rev. Gerold Sevig. "He was killed while sharing his life, seeking peace for a troubled people."
Herrgott was shot in the neck July 3 while manning the gunner's hatch of a Bradley fighting vehicle outside the National Museum in Baghdad. He had taken the place of soldiers who had been wounded.
"Thank you for giving him to us to know and love," Sevig told dozens of family members during the service in St. John's Lutheran Church as they stared mutely at Herrgott's flag-draped coffin. Herrgott is believed to be the first Minnesotan to die in Iraq.
Hundreds of mourners jammed the church a few blocks from downtown Shakopee, including dozens of his fellow soldiers. Among the mourners were Gov. Tim Pawlenty and his wife, Mary.
Army Brig. Gen. Roger Nadeau honored Pfc. Herrgott from the pulpit, posthumously awarding him the Bronze Star for "meritorious service in Iraq from 19 March to 2 July," and a Purple Heart for his fatal wound. Nadeau presented the medals in a green leather case to Herrgott's parents, Edward and Marcia.
Herrgott means "Lord God" in German, and Sevig invoked the love of God when he introduced the venerable 23rd Psalm as a passage "that reminds us the Lord watches over us and guides us all the days of our lives." That said, he grimly underscored the brevity of Herrgott's life and added simply: "I don't know why this happened."
The war that has so far claimed the life of Herrgott and 219 other Americans demonstrates that "the world was and is a hostile place," Sevig said. "The reasons for war, pain, suffering, killing and dying are as old as humankind."
Outside the sanctuary, before the funeral began, Herrgott's body lay in full dress uniform in an open gunmetal-gray coffin. Propped up nearby was a photo montage, showing him at stages of his life: a smiling toddler, a determined martial arts student, a proud high
school graduate, a new soldier. In one of the photos, he's showing off a tattoo of his family name snaking across his upper back.
After graduating from Shakopee High School in 2001, he joined the Army the following January with the thought of bringing some discipline to what had occasionally been a wild life. He was also planning to use the service as a financial springboard to college, where he planned to study to become a police officer.
Citing his frequent scrapes with the law, he had told his mother: "Ma, I know the ins and outs of it." That desire to devote a career to police work was additional proof of his deep desire to help other people, Sevig said.
At Valley Cemetery, on the east edge of town, hundreds of people gathered amid the headstones in the shadow of evergreen and ash trees. Many of them held red, white or blue balloons. Sevig beckoned them to release the balloons as a symbol: "We release our lives to God's care." They wafted away in the breeze, disappearing over the horizon.
Herrgott's parents winced at the sound as their son was honored with a 21-gun salute. After members of the Army honor guard precisely folded the flag that had covered the coffin, Marcia Herrgott hesitated before accepting it, as if it were too painful to touch.
As the sound of the gunfire echoed through the cemetery, an Army bugler standing a short distance away played "Taps," the mournful notes of the timeless military tattoo signaling the end of an honored soldier's life.
Herrgott was buried in a family plot, near the headstone
belonging to his paternal grandparents. As the mourners drifted away toward to the local Veterans of Foreign Wars post for lunch, one of the last to leave was T.J. Kewatt, one of Herrgott's cousins and his best friend.
Kewatt placed a final rose on the coffin, barely able to talk to the family members who embraced him. He was just back from Iraq, where he, too, served in the Army.
Jim and T.J. never managed to cross paths in Iraq, but Kewatt had the job of bringing his cousin's body back home last weekend.
Bob von Sternberg is at [email protected].
∼Pfc. Herrgott, 20, of Shakopee, Minn died on July 3 in Baghdad Iraq. Herrgott died from a gunshot wound while on patrol. He was assigned to the 1-36th Inf. Reg., 1st Armored Div. Wiesbaden Germany.
Army Pfc. Herrgott was assigned to the 1-36th Infantry Regiment, 1st Armored Division, Wiesbaden, Germany. Herrgott was outside the National Museum in Baghdad in his Bradley tank doing his watch as guard duty. He had slid up into the gunner's seat - the gunner's hatch - and a sniper shot him in the neck. He was rushed to the hospital but they were unable to keep him alive. Jim graduated from Shakopee High School in 2001 and was a quiet man who was starting to find his way in the world with the help of the military. The Army gave him a little discipline, a little guidance in his life and he was getting on track. He hoped to earn enough money in the Army to become a police officer. Jim was fun loving, adventurous, respectful, but not always someone who followed all the rules. He loved NASCAR racing and hanging out with his friends. Herrgott was buried among the pine and ash trees in Valley Cemetery.∼July 2003: Duty faithfully performed
Pfc. Edward J. Herrgott, believed to be the first Minnesotan to die in Iraq, was laid to rest with full honors in his hometown of Shakopee.
American flags throughout Shakopee flew at half-staff Tuesday to honor a native son who was laid to rest 12 days after an Iraqi sniper killed him.
Barely a month after his 20th birthday, Edward James Herrgott - universally known as Jim - was eulogized as a man " willing to put his life on the line for the well-being of others," said the Rev. Gerold Sevig. "He was killed while sharing his life, seeking peace for a troubled people."
Herrgott was shot in the neck July 3 while manning the gunner's hatch of a Bradley fighting vehicle outside the National Museum in Baghdad. He had taken the place of soldiers who had been wounded.
"Thank you for giving him to us to know and love," Sevig told dozens of family members during the service in St. John's Lutheran Church as they stared mutely at Herrgott's flag-draped coffin. Herrgott is believed to be the first Minnesotan to die in Iraq.
Hundreds of mourners jammed the church a few blocks from downtown Shakopee, including dozens of his fellow soldiers. Among the mourners were Gov. Tim Pawlenty and his wife, Mary.
Army Brig. Gen. Roger Nadeau honored Pfc. Herrgott from the pulpit, posthumously awarding him the Bronze Star for "meritorious service in Iraq from 19 March to 2 July," and a Purple Heart for his fatal wound. Nadeau presented the medals in a green leather case to Herrgott's parents, Edward and Marcia.
Herrgott means "Lord God" in German, and Sevig invoked the love of God when he introduced the venerable 23rd Psalm as a passage "that reminds us the Lord watches over us and guides us all the days of our lives." That said, he grimly underscored the brevity of Herrgott's life and added simply: "I don't know why this happened."
The war that has so far claimed the life of Herrgott and 219 other Americans demonstrates that "the world was and is a hostile place," Sevig said. "The reasons for war, pain, suffering, killing and dying are as old as humankind."
Outside the sanctuary, before the funeral began, Herrgott's body lay in full dress uniform in an open gunmetal-gray coffin. Propped up nearby was a photo montage, showing him at stages of his life: a smiling toddler, a determined martial arts student, a proud high
school graduate, a new soldier. In one of the photos, he's showing off a tattoo of his family name snaking across his upper back.
After graduating from Shakopee High School in 2001, he joined the Army the following January with the thought of bringing some discipline to what had occasionally been a wild life. He was also planning to use the service as a financial springboard to college, where he planned to study to become a police officer.
Citing his frequent scrapes with the law, he had told his mother: "Ma, I know the ins and outs of it." That desire to devote a career to police work was additional proof of his deep desire to help other people, Sevig said.
At Valley Cemetery, on the east edge of town, hundreds of people gathered amid the headstones in the shadow of evergreen and ash trees. Many of them held red, white or blue balloons. Sevig beckoned them to release the balloons as a symbol: "We release our lives to God's care." They wafted away in the breeze, disappearing over the horizon.
Herrgott's parents winced at the sound as their son was honored with a 21-gun salute. After members of the Army honor guard precisely folded the flag that had covered the coffin, Marcia Herrgott hesitated before accepting it, as if it were too painful to touch.
As the sound of the gunfire echoed through the cemetery, an Army bugler standing a short distance away played "Taps," the mournful notes of the timeless military tattoo signaling the end of an honored soldier's life.
Herrgott was buried in a family plot, near the headstone
belonging to his paternal grandparents. As the mourners drifted away toward to the local Veterans of Foreign Wars post for lunch, one of the last to leave was T.J. Kewatt, one of Herrgott's cousins and his best friend.
Kewatt placed a final rose on the coffin, barely able to talk to the family members who embraced him. He was just back from Iraq, where he, too, served in the Army.
Jim and T.J. never managed to cross paths in Iraq, but Kewatt had the job of bringing his cousin's body back home last weekend.
Bob von Sternberg is at [email protected].
∼Pfc. Herrgott, 20, of Shakopee, Minn died on July 3 in Baghdad Iraq. Herrgott died from a gunshot wound while on patrol. He was assigned to the 1-36th Inf. Reg., 1st Armored Div. Wiesbaden Germany.
Pfc. Edward J. Herrgott, believed to be the first Minnesotan to die in Iraq, was laid to rest with full honors in his hometown of Shakopee.
American flags throughout Shakopee flew at half-staff Tuesday to honor a native son who was laid to rest 12 days after an Iraqi sniper killed him.
Barely a month after his 20th birthday, Edward James Herrgott - universally known as Jim - was eulogized as a man " willing to put his life on the line for the well-being of others," said the Rev. Gerold Sevig. "He was killed while sharing his life, seeking peace for a troubled people."
Herrgott was shot in the neck July 3 while manning the gunner's hatch of a Bradley fighting vehicle outside the National Museum in Baghdad. He had taken the place of soldiers who had been wounded.
"Thank you for giving him to us to know and love," Sevig told dozens of family members during the service in St. John's Lutheran Church as they stared mutely at Herrgott's flag-draped coffin. Herrgott is believed to be the first Minnesotan to die in Iraq.
Hundreds of mourners jammed the church a few blocks from downtown Shakopee, including dozens of his fellow soldiers. Among the mourners were Gov. Tim Pawlenty and his wife, Mary.
Army Brig. Gen. Roger Nadeau honored Pfc. Herrgott from the pulpit, posthumously awarding him the Bronze Star for "meritorious service in Iraq from 19 March to 2 July," and a Purple Heart for his fatal wound. Nadeau presented the medals in a green leather case to Herrgott's parents, Edward and Marcia.
Herrgott means "Lord God" in German, and Sevig invoked the love of God when he introduced the venerable 23rd Psalm as a passage "that reminds us the Lord watches over us and guides us all the days of our lives." That said, he grimly underscored the brevity of Herrgott's life and added simply: "I don't know why this happened."
The war that has so far claimed the life of Herrgott and 219 other Americans demonstrates that "the world was and is a hostile place," Sevig said. "The reasons for war, pain, suffering, killing and dying are as old as humankind."
Outside the sanctuary, before the funeral began, Herrgott's body lay in full dress uniform in an open gunmetal-gray coffin. Propped up nearby was a photo montage, showing him at stages of his life: a smiling toddler, a determined martial arts student, a proud high
school graduate, a new soldier. In one of the photos, he's showing off a tattoo of his family name snaking across his upper back.
After graduating from Shakopee High School in 2001, he joined the Army the following January with the thought of bringing some discipline to what had occasionally been a wild life. He was also planning to use the service as a financial springboard to college, where he planned to study to become a police officer.
Citing his frequent scrapes with the law, he had told his mother: "Ma, I know the ins and outs of it." That desire to devote a career to police work was additional proof of his deep desire to help other people, Sevig said.
At Valley Cemetery, on the east edge of town, hundreds of people gathered amid the headstones in the shadow of evergreen and ash trees. Many of them held red, white or blue balloons. Sevig beckoned them to release the balloons as a symbol: "We release our lives to God's care." They wafted away in the breeze, disappearing over the horizon.
Herrgott's parents winced at the sound as their son was honored with a 21-gun salute. After members of the Army honor guard precisely folded the flag that had covered the coffin, Marcia Herrgott hesitated before accepting it, as if it were too painful to touch.
As the sound of the gunfire echoed through the cemetery, an Army bugler standing a short distance away played "Taps," the mournful notes of the timeless military tattoo signaling the end of an honored soldier's life.
Herrgott was buried in a family plot, near the headstone
belonging to his paternal grandparents. As the mourners drifted away toward to the local Veterans of Foreign Wars post for lunch, one of the last to leave was T.J. Kewatt, one of Herrgott's cousins and his best friend.
Kewatt placed a final rose on the coffin, barely able to talk to the family members who embraced him. He was just back from Iraq, where he, too, served in the Army.
Jim and T.J. never managed to cross paths in Iraq, but Kewatt had the job of bringing his cousin's body back home last weekend.
Bob von Sternberg is at [email protected].
∼Pfc. Herrgott, 20, of Shakopee, Minn died on July 3 in Baghdad Iraq. Herrgott died from a gunshot wound while on patrol. He was assigned to the 1-36th Inf. Reg., 1st Armored Div. Wiesbaden Germany.
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