PORT ORCHARD, Wash. – Members from a controversial Kansas church were in Western Washington Friday. They tried to disrupt a memorial service for a Bremerton soldier who was killed in combat. But counter-protestors kept them at bay.

A war of words erupted on a Port Orchard street Friday afternoon as five members of the Westboro Church preached their hatred of gays and the U.S. military. They shouted insults and carried signs.

A couple hundred counter protestors shouted down the church members – including one child – who were escorted by sheriff's deputies.

The church members say God is killing soldiers in retaliation for America's tolerance of homosexuality. They have appeared at military funerals across the country, and Friday, they were a block away from a memorial service for Sgt. First Class Johnny Walls.

The Bremerton High School grad died November 2 from combat wounds in Afghanistan.

In as statement, Sgt. Walls' family says church members are out to "dishonor Johnny" and that "our only response would be to say thank you to the overall support of our great military community."

This afternoon, that community did its best to shield the Walls family from sights and sounds of the controversial protestors who retreated after 20 minutes.