(Columbia) June 30, 2003 - They came in business suits and shorts. Old and young, black and white. The obscure and the powerful like Appeals Court Judge Bert Goolsby, "He's just had such an enormous impact on our country and on the Republican Party obviously."

Most like Alice Rawls from Lake Murray, it seems, have a story about Strom, "Strom Thurmond was my father's drill sergeant. And I just felt like I needed to pay my respects."

Steven Garrick of Columbia says the senator was instrumental in his education, "When I graduated from high school, the first thing he told me, he said, 'I want you to come to my office in the Strom Thurmond building when you graduate from AC Flora High School.' And he said, 'I'll make sure that I can help you get a scholarship.' He did that for me."

Midlands radio talk show host Andy Thomas has heard a lot of stories like those over the past few days, "That became very clear when we talked about it with our callers, that whether they were black or white or Hispanic, that he reached out through his office, through his office aides to do the very best that he could to help them in days, what would have taken years in some cases."

Despite work obligations and a steady rain, they continued to come. By early afternoon more than 2400 people had filed past the casket.

For some, Senator Thurmond's passing is an opportunity for a history lesson. Rose Marie Moore brought seven-year-old, Javier, to the State House as she recalled how the senator touched her life, "He helped my mother get her disability and he also helped my brother-in-law when he was in Germany with some personal things."

A heart-shaped array of red roses is close to the guestbooks being signed by the senator's admirers. The attached message is even more touching because it comes from the senator's wife, Nancy Moore Thurmond.

It reads, "From my heart to yours. The joy of sharing our lives with the gift of our children will continue into eternity. I'll be with you in spirit until then. I'll see you tomorrow. Thank you and good night, dear Strom. Love, Nancy."

The note is just one of many sentiments expressed by the hundreds who came Monday.

Thurmond will continue to lie in state Tuesday from 9:00am to 11:00am. Officers from the South Carolina Army and Air National Guard watch over Thurmond's casket. A shuttle service has been set up from the parking lots behind the Koger Center to the State House operating from 8:30am to 11:30am on Tuesday, because of limited parking.

Thurmond's body will be carried by a horse drawn caisson Tuesday from the State House six blocks to First Baptist Church in Columbia for a military funeral at 1:00pm. Several downtown Columbia streets will be closed for the better part of the day for the service. From 8:30am to about 3:00pm the closed streets will be: Marion between Taylor and lady; Washington between Sumter and Bull; Hampton between Sumter and Bull.

From 11:55am until a little after 1:00pm, a portion of Sumter will be closed between Pendleton and Taylor for the caisson.

From 11:55am to 12:55pm, traffic will be closed on Gervais Street between Main and Marion.

The family will release the order of the funeral, hymns and speakers.

Columbia Police Sgt. Bryan Goff says motorists will have some unexpected twists and turns, "Just expect delays. We're going to cut the city in half." Goff says their will be a wide range of visitors, "We have people coming from all over the country, maybe the world, extremely manpower intensive."

First Baptist will open at 11:00am. There will be metal detectors and the public is asked to not bring pagers, cell phones or cameras. Also, those who plan to attend are encouraged to park in city garages due to limited street parking.

In addition to the 3400 seats inside First Baptist church, there's also going to be a spill-over room. It's the old sanctuary, Boyce Chapel, which seats between 800 to 900 people. People in that room will watch the service on closed circuit television.

After the funeral, a procession will take Thurmond to the Willowbrook Cemetery in Edgefield where he will be given a military burial at his family plot.

Richland County Senator John Courson says all the memorials will be open to the public, "If you love Strom Thurmond and want to pay respects to him, I think there will be plenty of seats available at First Baptist Church." Senator Courson is helping plan the funeral. 
 
The White House confirmed early Friday evening that Vice President Dick Cheney will represent Bush at Tuesday's funeral. Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld will also come to pay his respects to Thurmond as well as numerous US senators and other dignitaries.

Public Safety Department spokesman Sid Gaulden says some other streets around the Columbia area will be closed as Cheney makes his way to and from the church. Those closings will not be announced because of security reasons.

The funeral procession will take Interstate 20 west to Edgefield, and troopers will block entrance ramps as the procession passes. Gaulden says motorists along I-20 will be allowed to pass the
procession on the left.

Flags across the state have been lowered to half-staff and a black ribbon has been tied around Strom Thurmond's statue at the State House as South Carolinians honor the former senator. Thurmond died in Edgefield Thursday night at the age of 100, surrounded by his family. The 100-year-old Republican set a record with 48 years of service in the Senate before retiring earlier this year.

By Jack Kuenzie & Catherine Reynolds
Updated 10:53pm by BrettWitt