Monumental: Tribute honors service of 230th Support Battalion

The members of the 230th Support Battalion are just a few of the heroes and heroines who have served their country overseas as part of Operation Iraqi Freedom.

These men and women of the Army National Guard gave up time with their families and put their lives at risk to defend people they did not know in a land thousands of miles from home — and then they came back to their day jobs.

There are many reasons to be proud of the military, those who serve on active duty or as part of the National Guard, and these soldiers are no exception.

So, a monument sponsored by the Family Support volunteers at the National Guard Armory in honor of their service was well-deserved.

During the ceremony to unveil the monument, Family Support coordinator Shirley Grice mentioned that she and her fellow volunteers would also like to add a walkway with bricks honoring the individual members of the battalion who served their country overseas as part of that mission.

And that should be a call to arms for this community. What better way to say thank you to all the soldiers who have served, and those who will continue to serve, than by helping to build that walkway.

It wouldn’t cost anyone a whole lot of money. The labor could be donated, and a small donation would allow a family, business or individual the chance to sponsor a soldier’s name on a brick.

And when it was finished, there would be a permanent thank you to the 230th Support Battalion and a spot for another future thank you to other heroes who might be called to serve.

Seems like a small way to repay such bravery — a great way to come together as a community to honor the men and women who serve this country.

Published in Editorials on October 20, 2005 11:04 AM