West Virginia Guardsman Laid to Rest

Army Spc. Sarah Beckstrom, a military police officer assigned to the 863rd Military Police Company, West Virginia Army National Guard, was laid to rest with full military honors during a ceremony at the West Virginia National Cemetery in Grafton, West Virginia, Dec. 9.

Beckstrom, 20, died Nov. 27 after she was fatally wounded in the line of duty in a shooting the previous day near Farragut Square in Washington. 

“As you look across these hills and out onto the rows of headstones, each stone a brick to the foundation of freedom upon which we stand today, I encourage you to remember this,” said Army Chaplain (Maj.) Christopher Bennett, 111th Engineer Brigade, as he presided over the ceremony. “No plots in the West Virginia national cemeteries can be purchased. Each must be earned, and we know Spc. Sarah Beckstrom has earned her place here among us today.” 

Beckstrom is survived by her mother, Evalea Beckstrom, father, Gary Beckstrom, sisters, Nicole and Christina, and brothers, Bryan and Wesley.

The service was attended by family members, friends and dignitaries, including West Virginia Gov. Patrick Morrisey; Sens. Shelley Moore Capito and Jim Justice, Reps. Carol Miller and Riley Moore; Air Force Gen. Steve Nordhaus, chief of the National Guard Bureau; Army Lt. Gen. Jon Stubbs, director of the Army National Guard; and West Virginia National Guard Army Maj. Gen. Jim Seward, adjutant general, and Army Command Sgt. Maj. James Jones, senior enlisted leader.      

Sarah Diane Beckstrom was born May 17, 2005, and was a 2023 honor graduate of Webster County High School in Upperglade, West Virginia. She enlisted in the West Virginia Army National Guard not long after graduation and completed basic and advanced training at Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri, that summer. 

In August 2025, she and other members of the West Virginia National Guard, including members of her unit, were mobilized for service in Washington as part of the D.C. Safe and Beautiful Task Force, which saw more than 2,000 guardsmen from six states provide additional security at key locations in the district.    

Unit members described her as a quiet professional who exemplified dedication and always put others above herself. Many recalled her quick smile, infectious laughter and her ability to inspire others.

She was an observant person who loved exploring and spent her off-duty hours in the district taking in museums and overall city life, her family said.    

Beckstrom was enrolled at Glenville State University in Glenville, West Virginia, and intended to pursue studies related to mental health.    

A passionate lover of animals, she was a “dog momma to one pup,” said family members, and was known to often carry snacks to share with squirrels she might have encountered. She was shy, quiet and reserved until she got to know people, her family said, and she loved music. Pasta was a favorite food, and she especially enjoyed playing arcade games. 

An avid reader, she was especially drawn to poetry and was reading Rupi Kaur’s “Milk and Honey.”

Family members described her as “a gentle soul who loved and lived deeply,” and someone who sought human connections. 

“There are many understandable responses to Sarah’s tragic murder,” Bennett said. “Anger, grief and confusion are natural and understandable, and God is big enough to handle all of those emotions and more. We can take comfort in knowing that God is just, and that in the end, justice will be served.”    

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.