Friends, family to honor fallen Kettering soldier this week

The vigil will take place at 8:30 p.m. today at the Fraze Pavilion in Kettering.

Sunday’s event will be held at Polen Farm, 5099 Bigger Rd. in Kettering, from 1 - 5 p.m. Sam Routsong, who said he knew Thomas for about a year, said getting the word out for the event was the best way he knew how to contribute to his friend.

RELATED: Pentagon: Kettering soldier may have been killed by friendly fire

Thomas, a Fairmont High School graduate, was killed in Afghanistan last week in a raid on an ISIS-K compound as U.S. and Afghan forces targeted high-level insurgent leaders in eastern Afghanistan. He was killed by small-arms fire, according to the Department of Defense.

»RELATED: Friendly fire may have killed 2 Army Rangers in Afghanistan

A GoFundMe page was also set up for Thomas' family and has raised more than $29,000 since April 30. Donations can be made here.

RELATED: For Kettering Army Ranger, service was ‘all he lived and breathed’

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