HOUSTON -- Hundreds of Woodlands residents paid tribute as a hometown hero was laid to rest Monday, KPRC Local 2 reported.

Pfc. Cory Kosters, 19, was buried at the Houston National Cemetery on the fourth anniversary of the invasion of Iraq.

Kosters and five other soldiers from the 82nd Airborne Division were killed when a roadside bomb hit their vehicle in Samarra, Iraq.

Residents and neighbors missed work and skipped school to pay tribute to the young man that only had one desire -- to serve in the military.

Kosters' family said that he felt a commitment to serve in Iraq. Kosters was originally scheduled to be home on leave when he was killed but allowed another soldier to stay at home with a newborn child in his place.

"I wanted the corner to be covered with red, white and blue when they passed," Suzette Harper said. "I support the troops. That's why I'm here."

Kosters' family spoke in support of the war, and that support was returned in a showering of patriotic displays along the streets leading to the cemetery.

"We're just here to show our respect," Vickie Homman said. "We hope that when they pass by they see that they're not alone."

Civil servants were in full dress to honor the fallen soldier with a flag hung from the top of an extended ladder of a firetruck as a show of support.

Kosters' father said even though he lost his son he believes it would be a mistake to pull soldiers out of Iraq.