A flag raising and prayer gathering will be held at Santa Clarita Baptist Church at 8 a.m., preceding the funeral of Army Specialist Rudy A. Acosta at 10:30 a.m. and a cross-town processional to Eternal Valley shortly after noon. The community is encouraged to line the processional route with flags, banners and signs to show their support.

Acosta, a popular student at Santa Clarita Christian, joined the Army shortly after his graduation in 2009. He was a combat medic stationed in Kandahar province, Afghanistan, and was shot and killed March 19 by an individual from a military security group, according to the Department of Defense.

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His parents, Dante and Carolyn Acosta, have received an outpouring of support from their church family, friends and the entire community. They have invited the public to participate in Rudy’s funeral and the procession following that will wind its way around the city before arriving at Eternal Valley Memorial Park for graveside services.

The reception following the graveside service is private.

Parking for the funeral is available at Santa Clarita Baptist Church and the adjoining Bethlehem Lutheran Church. Those not participating in the processional after the services will be in the Edwards Theatre lot on Luther.

The procession will leave the church, traveling west (left) on Soledad Canyon Road to McBean Parkway, turning south (left) to Orchard Village Road, then left on Lyons Avenue, right on Newhall Avenue and proceed past the Veterans Historical Plaza, to Sierra Highway, turning right and into Eternal Valley Memorial Park. The community is encouraged to line the route of the procession with flags, banners and signs.

This is the url for the map of the funeral procession route: http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?ie=UTF8&hl=en&msa=0&msid=200514676833232312465.00049f8efeb77f51a179a&ll=34.400111,-118.505917&spn=0.065013,0.153637&t=h&z=13

“I would really like to see our community turn out to honor this fallen soldier who has given so much to our country and our community,” said Councilmember Bob Kellar.

In lieu of flowers, the family is requesting donations be made to the Rudy A. Acosta Memorial Foundation and mailed to: Santa Clarita Baptist Church, 27249 Luther Drive, Santa Clarita 91351.

Hometownstation.com will post the public’s pictures from the processional route; send yours to newsroom@hometownstation.com.