AMERICAN FORK — Hundreds of Boy Scouts, faces sober, fingers in solemn salute, lined 100 East in American Fork Saturday to wave Old Glory in honor of a fallen soldier.

A hush fell over the city as the white hearse carrying the body of Sgt. Nathan Barnes, 23, who was killed during a combat mission in Iraq July 17, made its way from the tabernacle on Main Street to the American Fork Cemetery. Traffic stilled and pedestrians stopped to place their hands over their hearts.

"It's a stunning tribute for an American hero," said Jerry Bishop, a member of the Patriot Guard, which escorted Barnes' body to the cemetery. "I've never seen anything like this."

The Nathan Barnes that family members described during the sergeant's funeral Saturday might have had a "crooked smile" for the hordes of people who turned up to pay their respects — it was, they said, his trademark.

"If he is sad now, it is only because we are sad," said his brother, Timothy Barnes. "I'm sure he's waiting for us to get over it so he can go on with his work."

Nathan Barnes enlisted in the Army at 19, ignoring the advice of family members who said they would "rather have him out of harm's way," said his brother, Jay Barnes. As a member of the 10th Mountain Division, a light infantry unit based at Fort Drum, N.Y., he was deployed in August 2006. He was shot in the neck as he prepared to exit a landing helicopter in Rushdi Mullah, Iraq.

Jay Barnes said his brother was qualified for any position in the military but chose infantry because he wanted to be in the thick of the action.

"For Nathan, his service was personal," he said. "For him, his service was being rendered directly to family and friends."

The sacrifice Nathan Barnes made for his country was characteristic of a man who spent much of his life trying to help the people around him, Jay Barnes said. He said Nathan "wept for the suffering people of Iraq" and was passionate about his work there.

Lisa Blake, the soldier's sister, said her brother's love for his country inspired her to think about patriotism and the nature of freedom.

"I was born free, but I remain so because men like Nathan choose to protect me," she said, with tears in her eyes. "I consider it an honor to have a hero for a brother."

Nathan Barnes' commitment to his fellow soldiers set him apart in the field, said Staff Sgt. Aaron Tabbert, who served with Barnes. He was committed to his faith in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and to his fellow soldiers.

Tabbert said Barnes would frequently rise, bleary-eyed from his bed to serve as a designated driver for his drunken comrades to make sure they got home safely.