Wisconsin Guard members in Iraq mourn for slain comrade Friends and relatives of Michelle Witmer walk behind as pallbearers carry her casket in Wood National Cemetery on Friday. (AP Photo/Waukesha Freeman, Susan Bickler) Associated Press Wisconsin National Guard members serving in Baghdad held each other and sobbed at a memorial service for a fellow soldier killed in an ambush last week. Lee Sensenbrenner of The Capital Times in Madison, Wis., was in Baghdad and reported on Thursday's service at a compound near the Tigris River to honor Spc. Michelle Witmer, who served with the Guard's 32nd Military Police Company. The last time a Wisconsin Guard member was killed in combat was in World War II. "People tell me that she did not die in vain, but I struggle with that concept," Spc. Shizuko Jackson of Milwaukee told hundreds of troops at the service. "She was just 20 years old and had so much to live for." Jackson noted, "We will remember how much she loved the Iraqi children, the Iraqi people. Those who a lot of us view as the enemy, she helped." The 32nd suddenly had its tour of duty extended for another four months shortly after Witmer died. The company has been in Iraq for nearly a year. "She rescued our minds from the loneliness and solitude brought about by a deployment that at times seems like it will never end," said Sgt. Nora Prohaska, of Milwaukee. Jackson, who is with the 32nd, spoke of how much Witmer loved her family, including her twin, Charity Witmer, who is a medic with another Guard unit, and her sister Rachel, 24, who is with the 32nd. "We're all scared about this extension. We're all hurt and angry and tired. Michelle would feel the exact same way," Jackson said. "But I feel good when I think of her watching over and protecting us, being with us until we're all safe at home." Capt. Scott Southworth, the company commander, said he hopes Rachel chooses not to return to Iraq. She and Charity are currently on leave to be at home with their family in New Berlin. They have not said whether they will return. "From my perspective as a commander, I hope they choose to stay home with their family. They need to stay home. They don't need this." Southworth, a University of Wisconsin Law School graduate from Juneau County, said their choice is not whether they will continue their mission. He said the military depends on the families of soldiers, and that there are two missions _ one for the 32nd to police Iraq, and the other to help heal the Witmers. "We can do our mission," he said. "No one else can do the mission with their family. If I could order them to stay home, I would." Medics who Charity Witmer served with crossed Baghdad to attend the ceremony, held poolside at a former resort of Saddam Hussein's Baath Party. At the close of the ceremony, all the troops who had gathered stood in line to hug Jackson, Prohaska, Southworth and other close friends of Witmer. Jackson said Witmer was "a friend to everyone," someone who rarely asked for help and strived to improve herself. "For some reason, I'm still waiting for her to come back, waiting for her to burst into our room with a huge smile on her face and maybe trip over something on the way in. ... I miss her. I miss my Witmer." Witmer was buried Friday in Wood National Cemetery in Milwaukee. ___ Information from: The Capital Times, http://www.captimes.com