Local soldier buried with military honors
A slow moving funeral cortege moved down Colonie streets Tuesday morning for the funeral of Staff Sergeant Amy Seyboth Tirador.
The 29-year-old 1998 graduate of Colonie Central High School was killed in Iraq on Nov. 4 by what the Army called "non combat circumstances." Amy's parents have said they were told she was shot in the back of the head and the family has promised to find out the truth about what happened.
Neighbors stood outside the Reach Out Fellowship Church watching the flag draped silver casket carried inside while Tirado's husband and parents marched in anguish behind it.
The circumstances of Tirador's death was on the mind of several people. One woman outside the church said, "It's very upsetting. You send your child off to war and then something like this happens."
More than 50 members of the motorcycle-riding Patriol Guard Riders stood silently outside the church and then joined in a long procession as mourners traveled 25 miles to the Saratoga National Cemetery.
There, Staff Sergeant Tirador received full military honors in a graveside ceremony in which taps were played and she received a 2-gun salute.
Tirador had been living for the past two years in Seattle but she considered Colonie her home.
