Mountain City, Tenn. -- Army Spc. Fred Greene will be buried today. Greene was killed in the Fort Hood shootings 13 days ago. Military officials believe Army Psychiatrist Major Nidal Malik Hasan is the man responsible for the massacre. Mourners will gather at Baker's Gap Baptist Church cemetary, Big Dry Run Road in Butler Tenn., at 11 a.m.
Hundreds of people lined Main Street in Mountain City Tenn. Tuesday, to celebrate the life of Greene.
At 4 p.m., the Greene family held a public visitation at the Hux-Lipford-Teague Funeral Home.
Officials estimated total turnout at 500 people. They started to gather at 1 p.m., the crowd peaked during the private visitation at 3 p.m., and tapered off when public visitation opened at 4 p.m.
Some supporters stayed the entire time, others came and went. Early on, the atmosphere was tense.
Area churches called for the turnout after flyers turned up around town, suggesting the radical Westboro Baptist Church (based in Topeka Ks.) was sending representatives to protest public visitation.
"God hates America," it reads. "This message to be preached in respectful, lawful proximity to the memorial of Spc. Frederick Greene Tue., Nov. 17, at 2:15 p.m."
Mountain City police were prepared, but protesters never showed up Tuesday.
Chief Denver Church said, in accordance with state law, his officers have the right to keep protesters 500 feet from any funeral service for Greene.
Lt. Danny Talley, with the Tennessee Highway Patrol, said his officers encountered Westboro a few months ago in Scott County Tenn. The group protested the funerals of two teen-aged cheerleaders killed in a car crash.
Westboro showed up after that funeral was over, Talley said, so their protest didn't have much of an impact.
"I think a lot of times, groups like this, they crave the media attention," he said.
Instead, residents of Mountain City focused on the soldier they lost. Click the play icon above to watch a video report of Tuesday's service.
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