Funeral set for Minn. soldier killed at Fort Hood

Kham Xiong
Kham Xiong, 23, had joined the Army earlier this year. Xiong as among the 13 people killed in a shooting rampage at Fort Hood on Thursday, Nov. 5, 2009.
MPR Photo/Ambar Espinoza

Funeral arrangements are being planned for a Minnesota soldier who was killed at Fort Hood last week.

Pfc. Kham Xiong of St. Paul was among the 13 people who died in the shooting spree at the Army base in Texas. Another 29 people were wounded.

At least three members of the state's congressional delegation traveled to Texas Tuesday for the memorial service for the shooting victims at Fort Hood.

Senators Amy Klobuchar and Al Franken were joined by Congresswoman Betty McCollum. President Barack Obama spoke at the service and named and described each victim. Obama said Xiong came to the U.S. from Thailand as a small child.

"He was a husband and father who followed his brother into the military because his family has a strong history of service" Obama said. "He was preparing for his first deployment to Afghanistan."

Xiong was 23 years old, married, with three young children. His funeral is set for later this month. A manager at Legacy Funeral Home in St. Paul, says a traditional three-day Hmong funeral for will begin at 9 a.m. on Saturday November 28th, at Legacy's Maplewood chapel. Xiong will be buried with military honors at Fort Snelling National Cemetery.

Yee Vang, a manager at Legacy Funeral Home in St. Paul, says a traditional three-day Hmong funeral for Xiong will begin at 9 a.m. on Sat., Nov. 28, at Legacy's Maplewood chapel. It will run through Monday afternoon, Nov. 30. Xiong will then be buried with military honors at Fort Snelling National Cemetery. The time hasn't been determined.

Xiong was 23 years old, married, with three young children. He had been preparing to deploy to Afghanistan.

(The Associated Press contributed to this report.)