National Guard leaves Thursday: People urged to line streets for send-off

By JAMES CLARK / Editor for the Southern Standard

Soldiers participate in a casing of the colors ceremony Monday afternoon at the National Guard Armory. The soldiers leave Thursday morning for Mississippi and send-off organizers are hoping crowds fill the streets. (James Clark photo)

Organizers are hoping for an overwhelming turnout Thursday morning as members of our National Guard unit make the trip to Camp Shelby, Miss., in preparation for deployment to Iraq.

“We’ve had people calling and asking are we doing anything for the soldiers? Are we having a parade?” said Chamber president Lea Chrisawn. “It’s not a parade, but I’d like to see people on both sides of the road waving and showing support for these soldiers.”

Added National Guard Cpt. Jim Reed, “We want the soldiers to know the community stands behind them. We can save the parade for when we come home.”

National Guard members will be leaving the local armory in two waves Thursday. The first convoy, containing military vehicles, will leave around 6 a.m. A second much larger bus convoy will leave around 9 a.m. People are encouraged to attend either or both events.

“We certainly hope a large number of people show up,” said sheriff’s investigator Herb Rowland, who is helping to organize police escorts. Members of McMinnville Police Department and Warren County Sheriff’s Department will be escorting both convoys to the county line.

Monday afternoon, several National Guard members gathered at the armory for a casing of the colors ceremony. That’s where the flag for the 278th Armored Cavalry Regiment, the official name for our National Guard unit, was rolled up for transport to the troop’s next destination. The flag will be raised in Mississippi and then later in Iraq.

Convoy routes to Camp Shelby, Miss. Thursday
6 a.m. – Convoy of military vehicles will leave the armory, travel down the bypass, and turn right onto Smithville Highway. Convoy will take Highway 56 to Interstate 40.
9 a.m. – Convoy of buses containing the bulk of National Guard soldiers will leave the armory, travel down the bypass and continue down Highway 55 to Interstate 24.