Marines in dress uniform carried the remains of Staff Sgt. Trevor Spink in a casket draped with an American flag from an air cargo bay at the St. Louis airport.

A full rifle detail stood by, eyes facing forward, locked at attention as the Marine killed in a vehicle accident in Iraq Saturday was carried past them.

The short walk did not last long, but everyone moved with the care and grace such a moment required, and in the silence were the unspoken thoughts of honor and duty that have shaped the lives of so many soldiers, and one soldier in particular, Trevor Spink.

Jonathan Slone, one of the Marines present, said the brief ceremony Thursday was a tribute, to show honor to their fallen comrade.

Slone said that Spink, as a fellow Marine, is his brother. "We were raised together, we grew up the same way. Any time a Marine falls, it is a brother or a sister. It is never easy. But this is something we can do to show how we feel, and to honor him."

With Spink laid carefully in his place, the hearse gently pulled behind a Highway Patrol vehicle, which would lead the motorcade out of the airport with lights on, but no siren.

The procession would pass under a giant American flag that waved in the breeze as Spink traveled beneath it for his final journey home.

The flag was hoisted by the St. Louis Fire Department with two of its tall ladder trucks. Its captain says the department's flag is often used to mark the passing of a hero.

Men like Trevor Spink know what it means to fight to save lives, the captain explained.

"We understand what it means to fight to save lives," Captain Michael C. Richardson said. "When your belief is strong enough in what you're doing that you're willing to give up your life to help someone else ... That is what they do in the armed services, they give their lives to keep people safe."

Cross streets along the motorcade's route out of the city were blocked by police cars whose officers stood outside their vehicles and saluted as Spink was carried past them. They did not waver as they stood by, and their unspoken message seemed loud and clear: A hero is passing by. We must show honor and respect.

A Highway Patrol vehicle escorted the motorcade the entire journey, from St. Louis to Desloge, and officers of varying departments blocked exits and lights at various points along the way.

A couple from De Soto had heard Spinks would be arriving Thursday night in Desloge. They held up a flag as the hearse pulled into the Boyer & Sons Funeral Home, where the visitation will be held from 4 to 9 p.m. today. The service is at 11 a.m. Saturday at First Baptist Church in Desloge.

The family gathered around as Spink was taken from the hearse and carried again with strong hands and quiet steps.

There were many tears shed at this moment, many hands held, many memories and hugs shared.

Roger Bates, one of the drivers for the funeral home, has served three tours in Iraq and is going back for a fourth. He said it is a deep sense of responsibility that keeps bringing him back to a service he agrees is dangerous. He cannot let his fellows down.