Fallen National Guard Member Laid To Rest At W.Va. National Cemetery

Before a somber crowd of family members, friends and dignitaries, U.S. Army Spc. Sarah Beckstrom was laid to rest with full military honors during a ceremony and interment Tuesday at the West Virginia National Cemetery in Grafton.

A 20-year-old military police officer with the West Virginia Army National Guard, Beckstrom and a fellow officer were shot during an attack near the Farragut Square Metro Station in Washington, D.C. on Nov. 26. She died of her injuries the following day, on Thanksgiving. 

“No plots in the West Virginia National Cemeteries can be purchased. Each must be earned, and we know Spc. Sarah Backstrom has earned her place here among us today,” 111th Engineer Brigade Chaplain Christopher Bennett, who presided over the ceremony, said . 

Beckstrom graduated with honors from Webster County High School and enlisted in the West Virginia Army National Guard soon after.

In August, she and other members of her unit were among more than 2,000 Guardsmen from six states mobilized for service in the nation’s capitol as part of Operation D.C. Safe and Beautiful, to provide additional security and safety at key locations in the district.

Rahmanullah Lakanwal, a 29-year-old Afghan national, is charged with shooting Beckstrom and her fellow officer, Staff Sgt. Andrew Wolfe. An attorney entered a not guilty plea on his behalf during a brief court hearing last week. Wolfe remained hospitalized earlier this week where family members said he was “surpassing expectations.”

Gov. Patrick Morrisey, who attended the ceremony, described it as “deeply moving” and said it “reflected the strength, grace, and love of a remarkable young woman and the family and friends who surrounded her.”

Beckstrom is survived by mother Evalea Beckstrom, father Gary Beckstrom, sisters Nicole and Christina and brothers Bryan and Wesley. Her military awards include the Defense Meritorious Service Medal, Army Service Ribbon, West Virginia Legion of Merit, the D.C. Distinguished Service Medal, and the D.C. Humanitarian Service Medal.

In addition to Morrisey, dignitaries in attendance at Beckstrom’s service included U.S. Senators Shelley Moore Capito and Jim Justice, Congresswoman Carol Miller, and Congressman Riley Moore.