Georgia governor, family at funeral remember Army Reserve soldier killed in Jordan

(13 Feb 2024)
RESTRICTION SUMMARY:

ASSOCIATED PRESS
Carrollton, Georgia – 13 Feb 2024
1. Portrait of Staff Sgt. William Jerome Rivers at funeral
HEADLINE: Soldier killed in Jordan remembered at funeral
2. Funeral programs
ANNOTATION: Family and friends gathered at Tabernacle Baptist Church in Carrollton, Georgia, Tuesday to say farewell to Staff Sgt. William Jerome Rivers.
3. Wide of casket and Gov. Kemp sitting in front row at funeral
4. Gov. Brian Kemp and Marty Kemp sitting at funeral
ANNOTATION: More than 100 mourners, including Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp, uniformed military officers and his pastor from New Jersey attended the funeral.
5. Uniformed officers sitting in pews
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6. SOUNDBITE (English) Brig. Gen. Todd Lazaroski, Commanding General of the 412th Theater Engineer Command:
“Staff Sgt. Rivers was more than a fellow soldier. He was a friend, a confidante and a beacon of positivity in the darkest of times. His infectious smile and wisdom were a source of comfort and inspiration to his fellow soldiers.”
7. Floral arrangements, casket, and portrait of Rivers
ANNOTATION: A 46-year-old Pennsylvania native, Rivers served in uniform for more than a decade after enlisting as an electrician.
8. Slideshow of Rivers and loved ones
ANNOTATION: Before moving to Georgia, he lived in New Jersey and attended the church of the Rev. James Betner.
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9. SOUNDBITE (English) Rev. James Betner, Pastor of Delaware Valley Baptist Church:
“I baptized him. I went in the water with him and baptized him. He wanted a legacy. Not simply the legacy he now has with his military career, but he wanted a legacy in Christ.”
10. Slideshow of Rivers and loved ones
ANNOTATION: Rivers and two other Georgia reservists, Sgt. Breonna Moffett and Sgt. Kennedy Sanders, were killed last month in a drone attack in Jordan.
ANNOTATION: The three soldiers received posthumous promotions. Rivers will be buried in Georgia National Cemetery in Canton alongside fellow military veterans.
STORYLINE:
The flag-draped casket of Staff Sgt. William Jerome Rivers stood at the front of a church Tuesday as Georgia's governor joined the Army Reserve soldier's family, uniformed military officers and his pastor from New Jersey who made the trip to say farewell.

More than 100 mourners gathered at the Tabernacle Baptist Church in Carrollton west of Atlanta as funerals began for three Georgia reservists killed last month in a drone attack on a U.S. base in Jordan.

A 46-year-old Pennsylvania native, Rivers served in uniform for more than a decade after enlisting as an electrician. The Army said his overseas deployments included a nine-month tour in Iraq in 2018. Before moving to Georgia, he lived in New Jersey and attended the church of the Rev. James Betner, who remembered Rivers as “a faithful man who gave all.”

"I thank God for Will," said Betner, who traveled from Willingboro, New Jersey, to preside at Rivers' funeral. “I Ioved it when I saw him. He’d come in and his smile just lit up the room.”

Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp and his wife sat in the church's front row along with military officers. Across the aisle, Rivers' wife, Darlene, sat in a hat and sunglasses with their son and Rivers’ two stepchildren.

Outside the church, police cars and Georgia State Patrol cruisers stood by to escort the funeral procession to Georgia National Cemetery, where Rivers was to be buried alongside fellow military veterans in Canton just northwest of Atlanta. An honor guard of Army soldiers served as pallbearers.
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