St. Pete soldier to receive hero’s escort

Memorial plans have been set for Spc. Brittany Gordon, the St. Petersburg soldier who was killed in Afghanistan earlier this month.

Gordon, the daughter of St. Pete Police assistant chief Cedric Gordon, was killed during a suicide bombing attack in Kandahar. We now know for sure that it was an insider attack at the hands of an Afghan soldier.

She is the first female soldier from the Tampa Bay area killed in action, in both the Iraq and Afghanistan wars.

Brittany graduated from St. Petersburg High school in 2006. She was involved in the school's band and served as captain of SPHS Varsity Women's Basketball team.

Her body will have a hero's escort from MacDill Air Force Base to St. Petersburg on Wednesday morning. A memorial will then take place at 6 p.m. Thursday night at Eckerd College's Ben Hill Chapel.

The service is open to the public. The escort will run along Bayshore in Tampa after leaving MacDill.

Here's the entire route:

North on Bayshore Boulevard

East on Platt St. Bridge

North on Florida Ave. (Left)

East on Jackson St. (Right)

North on N. Jefferson St. (Left)

East on Twiggs St. (Right)

North on Channelside Drive (Left)

East on SR 60

North on 22nd Street (Left)

West on I-4 (Left)

South on I-275

Arrive at Funeral Home in St Pete