Pool party planned for National Guard
A patriotic day at the Civic
Center is planned for Friday in
hopes of showing community
support for soldiers of the local
National Guard unit who will
report to active duty.
Plans are for the Civic Center
to forego admission fees at the
Gilley Pool Friday for more
than 100 soldiers and their
families, McMinnville Parks
and Recreation director
Carlene Brown said.
Mayor Royce Davenport,
who is a Vietnam veteran, is
also expected to issue a procla-mation
honoring the soldiers
Friday. He said community
support is imperative in a diffi-cult
time.
“It’s difficult leaving your
loved ones and friends behind
and being in an unknown
country for an extended period
of time – being away from your
normal surroundings that not
only are you are unfamiliar
with, but there’s danger avail-able
at any point,” he said of
the journey soldiers are about
to make.
“Rarely do you know when
something is going to happen.
It just happens. So you’re
constantly aware that you’ve
got to have an immediate
response to all levels of
encounters, whether they are
friendly or extremely hostile.
And that’s difficult,”
Davenport added.
Davenport said the city has
formally approved waiving the
pool fees for soldiers and their
immediate family members
Friday. Soldiers will be
allowed to leave their training
post Friday afternoon, unit
commander Cpt. Jim Reed
said.
Brown said the idea devel-oped
in part because members
of the unit had spent their
family day at the pool last year.
The city wanted to show
support this year after hearing
the unit would be deployed,
she said.
“We’re going to salute them
by declaring it a red, white and
blue day at the pool,” Brown
said, indicating the pool will
be open to the public.
“We’re asking all our patrons
to wear red, white and blue.
We’re going to fly our
American flags with the help
of the Exchange Club and their
flag program all around the
swimming pool and our life-guards
are going to have a
special presentation of the
American flag and have a
musical tribute with patriotic
songs.”
That tribute is expected to
take place around 1:30 p.m.