DAYTON — The body of Army Sgt. Edward L. Brooks, a Dayton native who was killed in Iraq last week, returned home Wednesday.

Brooks died Aug. 29 in Ramadi of wounds from an improvised explosive device, according to the Department of Defense.

The hearse carrying the 25-year-old soldier's casket was escorted by police and Patriot Guard Riders on motorcycles from Wright-Patterson Air Force Base to the House of Wheat Funeral Home in Dayton.

Brooks' parents — mother Sterling Brooks, father Edward Smith and stepmother Kimberly Smith — as well as his four brothers and two sisters participated in the motorcade.

Brooks' father later thanked Patriot Guard Riders for their visible show of respect to his son.

The Colonel White High School graduate was married with a 20-month-old son, 10-year-old stepson and 7-year-old stepdaughter, according to Army National Guard Sgt. 1st Class Christina Nickell, a casualty officer assisting the family. She said Brooks' wife, Ivana, and the two older children were expected to arrive from Germany on Wednesday evening.

Brooks was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 77th Armor Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division, based in Schweinfurt, Germany.

A public visitation will be from 5 to 9 p.m. today at the House of Wheat, 2107 N. Gettysburg Ave.

The funeral will be at 11 a.m. Friday at Shiloh Baptist Church, 3801 Fairbanks Ave. He will be buried in Dayton National Cemetery.