Hundreds of friends and supporters of First Lt. Scott Milley braved frigid temperatures Thursday to honor him as State, Sudbury, Framingham and Lincoln police officers led the motorcade that helped bring home the Army Ranger.

The motorcade entered Duckett's Funeral Home on Boston Post Road around 11 a.m. Supporters ranged from elderly veterans to pre-school children who waved U.S. flags that were almost as big as them.

The news of his death stunned this quiet community; but the community also showed its strength.

"I was in shock," said Ashley Capone, who is best friends with Milley's sister, Ashley. "I just didn't believe it. I felt there was something lost.

"But I'm amazed by the support. The people are so wonderful. There's so much love. It's so comforting."

For Marc Cullen, a 2004 Lincoln-Sudbury graduate, it was a chance to say goodbye to an old friend and former hockey teammate.

"I didn't want to believe it," he said of hearing the news of Milley's death. "It took a few calls from very close friends and friends of the Milley family. That's when it finally hit me."

Sudbury Board of Selectmen member Larry O'Brien said the outpouring of compassion made him feel proud to call Sudbury his home.

"This is a compassionate community," he said. "This support does not surprise me at all."

Milley, a 10th Mountain Division Solider stationed at Fort Polk, La., was killed last week in Logar province, Afghanistan, from wounds sustained in a small arms weapons attack.  

According to Sudbury Veterans' Agent Brian Stearns, the wake for Milley is planned for Friday, from 3-9 p.m., at Lincoln-Sudbury Regional High School. 

Funeral services will be held Saturday at 11 a.m. at Lincoln-Sudbury Regional High School, with interment at Sudbury's New Town Cemetery to follow. 

Photos of the scene can be viewed below.