UPPERGLADE, W.Va. — In the gymnasium of Webster County High School, community members gathered to honor West Virginia Army National Guard Spc. Sarah Beckstrom, who had graduated from the school just two years prior.

“Sarah was the kind of student teachers hoped for,” said Webster County High School Principal Gabriel Markle, who taught Beckstrom when she was a student. “She carried herself with quiet strength, a contagious smile and a positive energy that lifted people around her.”

Beckstrom, 20, died on Nov. 27 after a targeted attack in Washington, D.C., where she was serving with the National Guard.

“Her commitment to service, both in our school and in our nation’s military, spoke volumes about her character,” Markle said.

Webster Springs is a small town, and dozens of

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