Memorial for graduate killed in Afghanistan set for Thursday

Associate history professor Patricia Minter taught Yates’ senior seminar class on civil rights, civil liberties and global perspective. “I found him to be a very interesting person,” she said. “He was someone who was in ROTC, who came to me and wanted to write his senior seminar paper about Ghandi.”

Spencer Jenkins

WKU will host a memorial service at 4 p.m. at the Guthrie Bell Tower for First Lt. Eric D. Yates, a WKU ROTC graduate who was killed this weekend in Afghanistan.

Yates, of Rineyville, was serving with the 101st Airborne Division in Afghanistan, according to a university news release.

Associate history professor Patricia Minter taught Yates’ senior seminar class on civil rights, civil liberties and global perspective.

“I found him to be a very interesting person,” she said. “He was someone who was in ROTC, who came to me and wanted to write his senior seminar paper about Ghandi.”

She said Yates was a nice student and a bright young man.

“It’s a terrible tragedy. I’m very sad,” she said.

Check Friday’s Herald for a full obituary and coverage of the memorial.