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NORTH ATTLEBORO - Town officials are asking residents who live along the funeral procession for Marine Capt. Kyle Van De Giesen to tie yellow ribbons along their property as a show of respect and gratitude.

Town Administrator Mark Fisher outlined the route the hearse carrying Van De Giesen's remains will take after Friday morning's funeral.

Van De Giesen was killed in the line of duty Oct. 26 in a midair helicopter collision in Afghanistan.

The procession will begin at St. Mary's Church downtown and drive past several sites that were important to Van De Giesen, before returning to the church to proceed to the Massachusetts National Cemetery in Bourne.

The procession is expected to begin between 10:30 and 10:45 a.m. and will take about 45 minutes. The route is south on North Washington Street, turn onto Elm Street and head past Mason Field. It will continue down Toner Boulevard, turning north onto Kelley Boulevard, heading to Bungay Road and onto Cranberry Road past the Van De Giesen home.

The procession will loop around Laurie Lane, back to Cranberry Road and to Bungay Road, where it will return to Kelley Boulevard and head north to Landry Avenue, past the Martin School and the middle and high school complex.

The processional will continue to Route 1, where it will head to Elm Street and back to St. Mary's Church through the center of town.

Fisher said Van De Giesen was the 78th member of the community killed in the line of duty, and the first since June 1970, when Albert St. Lawrence was killed in the Vietnam War. Fisher said residents can pay their respects by standing along the processional route, or simply tying a ribbon to their property.

"Kyle was a true gem," Fisher said. "I hope our residents will take the time to show their support and respect for him."