Army Spc. James A. Justice

Died August 17, 2012 Serving During Operation Enduring Freedom

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21, of Grover, N.C.; assigned to 2nd Battalion, 503rd Infantry Regiment, 173rd Airborne Brigade Combat Team, Vicenza, Italy; died Aug. 17 at Landstuhl Regional Medical Center, Germany, from injuries suffered Aug. 14 that were caused by small-arms fire in Wardak province, Afghanistan.

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Body of soldier killed in Afghanistan back in N.C.

The Associated Press

CHERRYVILLE, N.C. — The body of a soldier killed in Afghanistan earlier this month has been returned to Gaston County.

The body of 21-year-old paratrooper James Justice was returned to Cherryville on Monday. Justice died Aug. 16 from wounds suffered in combat.

Hundreds of people stood or sat along Cherryville’s Main Street as the procession moved through the town. Two fire trucks extended ladders to form an arch with a huge American flag over the street.

Services will be held Wednesday afternoon. Burial with full military honors will be in Mountain Rest Cemetery in Kings Mountain.

Justice joined the Army at age 18. He had been in Afghanistan only about a month.

Justice was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 503rd Infantry Regiment, 173rd Airborne Brigade Combat Team, based in Italy.