MILAN, Ohio — The entire community is coming together Monday to honor a fallen hero: Ohio Navy Corpsman Maxton Soviak.
Thousands of people are expected to pack the Edison High School football stadium when Soviak’s funeral begins at 11 a.m. Service members, law enforcement and first responders from all over the country also plan to attend.
Today @USNavy Hospital Corpsman 3rd Class Maxton Soviak will be laid to rest. Thousands of people are expected to attend his funeral service at the Edison High School football stadium at 11 A.M. A private burial will follow. Full coverage on @SpectrumNews1OH pic.twitter.com/xGrFgbIvVt
— Micaela Marshall (@MMarshallTV) September 13, 2021
A Navy spokesperson told Spectrum News 1 there will be a military fly over during the service, and bag pipes and drums will sound throughout the area, played by Columbus and Cleveland police, as well as the Ohio State Highway Patrol.
Soviak, 22, died on Aug. 26 from an explosion near the Kabul airport in Afghanistan when U.S. troops were evacuating the country.
The Navy said as a result of his heroic acts, Soviak was posthumously advanced to the rank of Hospital Corpsman Third Class. He was also awarded the Purple Heart.
In a small town like Berlin Heights, where Soviak was from, just about everybody has a connection to the family.
During the procession last week when his remains returned home, thousands of people lined the streets to pay their respects.
“Max, from what I hear, was an amazing young man and his family as a long way to go in grieving,” said Jennifer Lowery, a Milan, Ohio resident. “My heart goes out to them.”
Soviak graduated from Edison High School in 2017 and joined the Navy right after. A private burial will follow the public funeral service.
