ANDERSON - Several hundred people gathered Thursday for the funeral of a Pendleton soldier killed in Iraq earlier this month, but there were no signs of a planned protest.

Local police increased security after receiving word that members of the Westboro Baptist Church of Topeka, Kan., which tours the country protesting at military funerals, planned to demonstrate at Pfc. Satieon V. Greenlee's funeral.

Greenlee, 24, was one of four soldiers killed Oct. 2 in Baghdad from small arms fire, the Defense Department has said. He was assigned to the 4th Battalion, 31st Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division, out of Fort Drum, N.Y.

Police had officers in the area "should something happen," Anderson police spokeswoman Linda Dudley said.

The officers were also made aware of a new S.C. law that went into effect in June, banning protests within 1,000 feet of funerals as well as demonstrations 30 minutes before or after the service.

But the protesters never showed.

Shirley Phelps-Roper, an attorney and member of the church, which claims the soldiers' deaths are a sign of God punishing America for tolerating homosexuality, said the group traveling likely decided to skip the South Carolina to attend two soldiers' funerals in New York on Friday.

"We have a chance to get into New York, where we have not been before," Phelps-Roper said.

Phelps-Roper said the group had not visited a S.C. soldier's funeral and was disappointed the legislature passed the new law earlier this year.

"What was the need for the law for something that hasn't happened in your state?" she asked.

Greenlee is survived by a wife and his two young boys.

During the funeral, a brief letter from Gov. Mark Sanford was read and a gold star was presented to Greenlee's family.