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MANSFIELD - For Army Spc. Corey Shea, joining the service was not about awards or accolades, but a call to duty.

It was while performing that duty that Shea, a cavalry scout for the Army's First Armored Division, paid the ultimate sacrifice, giving his life in the service of his country in Iraq.

"The great young man who we honor here today did not ask for any recognition," said Army Capt. John Eliot of Fort Hood in Texas, where Shea's unit was stationed. "He did not seek the hero's treatment, but a hero he is."

Shea, 21, was one of two U.S. soldiers killed when an Iraqi soldier suddenly opened fire on soldiers at a joint security station in Mosul, Iraq. Several others were wounded in the attack.

Although he might not have craved the spotlight, Shea was given a hero's farewell Monday. Residents lined the streets, waving U.S. flags and saluting the fallen soldier's casket as a caisson-led procession worked its way through town. On route to the funeral Mass at St. Mary's Church on Pratt Street, Shea's body was carried down East Street, passing by Mansfield High School, where he graduated in 2005. Hundreds of students took a break from their morning classes to pay their respects as the caisson went by.

"His commitment to his service of his country as a soldier revealed a heart of a person who was willing to accept his duty in spite of its danger," the Rev. Msgr. Stephen Avila said in his homily.

The funeral drew many public officials, including Gov. Deval Patrick, U.S. Sen. John Kerry, U.S. Rep. Barney Frank, as well as numerous state legislators and town officials.

The mood within the church was somber, as memories of Shea invariably led back to his commitment to serve, whether he was helping his country or loved ones.

"He was a good man," Eliot said. "He was a loving young man who genuinely cared about others, and he was a very good soldier."

"The fact that Specialist Shea enlisted in the Army during a time of war, knowing full well what that meant, speaks volumes about his character," Eliot said.

Shea's mother, Denise Anderson, wept openly when Eliot presented her with the Purple Heart and the Bronze Star awarded to Shea posthumously.

"Amazing Grace" played loudly as loved ones followed Shea's casket out of the church, sharing embraces as they shed tears.

Following the Mass, Shea was buried with full military honors in the Massachusetts National Cemetery in Bourne.

While his body may be gone, loved ones said Shea will live on in their memories, as a friend, as a soldier and, most of all, as a hero. "He will be remembered as a hero," said his sister, Kristin Anderson. "A hero that gave the ultimate sacrifice."

MATT KAKLEY can be reached at 508-236-0333 or at mkakley@thesunchronicle.com.