Troops deploy from Tyrone for last time
Town to hold send-off for soldiersBy Greg Bock, gbock@altoonamirror.com
TYRONE - Wednesday's send-off of area soldiers heading to Iraq is gaining steam in Tyrone.
''This will be the last time anybody deploys from there,'' said Sgt. First Class Michael Chirdon, with the Pennsylvania National Guard, Charlie Company, Second Battalion, 112th Infantry, of the Tyrone Armory.
The armories in Tyrone and Bellefonte, where Charlie Company is headquartered, are set to close and the company will share a Centre County facility. The last deployment in Tyrone will see a revival of the longstanding tradition in the town of sending off the departing soldiers with a parade.
Chirdon, a 16-year veteran from Duncansville, said the send-off grew from discussions with Tyrone Mayor Jim Kilmartin and Missy Kissell, the Family Readiness Group leader.
''It kept getting bigger and bigger,'' Chirdon said as he and other organizers ironed out details Thursday afternoon at Tyrone's Gray-Veterans Memorial Field. He noted that Tyrone has a history of seeing the unit, now Detachment One, Charlie Company, Second Battalion, 112th Infantry Regiment, off with a parade.
Soon the interest in the send-off outgrew the original plans to parade from the Logan Avenue Armory to Soldiers' Park for a brief ceremony. The Tyrone Area School District offered the use of the football field, where the noon parade will wind up.
The high school band and choral group will perform, and veterans who were there the last time the unit marched from the armory to go to prepare for World War II will be among the speakers.
Chirdon said the last deployment parade, March 1, 1941, drew thousands who lined the streets to bid the soldiers farewell. Area veterans are being asked to participate this year and gather at Gray-Vets Field. The parade line up begins at 11 a.m. at the armory.
Tyrone's Sheridan Calvary Troop originated in 1871, and each time the troops went off to fight - first for the Spanish-American War, then World War I and World War II - the town was there to cheer on the men as they marched from the armory with their horse to the train station on Pennsylvania Avenue.
Although the unit now relies on the state-of-the-art, eight-wheeled, all-wheel-drive Stryker combat vehicle, the show of support of their families and communities is as crucial as always, Kissel said.
"We're excited," she said. ''This has been an amazing group that came together with one goal - to let them know we are behind them.''
Kissell, whose husband, Michael, is a 16-year veteran guardsman who deployed with the unit to Kosovo five years ago, knows what the families are going through.
''Most of the unit is under 25 years old,'' she said. ''So it's scary for them and they don't know what to expect.''
What the Family Readiness Group does, she added, is make sure the families are taken care of while the soldiers are gone. Whether it be car repairs, cutting the grass or getting a hot water heater fixed, the group aims to help each other deal with daily life so their loved ones can concentrate on their military duty.
Mayor Jim Kilmartin said he's amazed at the reception the parade has received in the community and hopes to see a rousing turnout Wednesday.
''This is something that is going to be great for the community and a great thing for the soldiers and their families,'' he said.
Chirdon noted the support and gratitude he sees in the area is unlike anything he's come across in his travels around the country. He said the amount of people who showed up at last month's Meet the Soldiers picnic at the Frankstown Armory ''blew our minds.''
''It's overwhelming, the amount of support here,'' Chirdon said. ''You don't get that everywhere.''
Second Battalion Commander Lt. Col. Samuel E. Hayes III said the battalion, which includes units in Lewistown, Huntingdon, Everett, Altoona, Bellefonte and Tyrone, will head to Camp Shelby in Mississippi Thursday.
While the battalion has spent the last several years making the transformation to become part of the 28th Infantry Division's 56th Stryker Brigade, the next several months will give the soldiers opportunities to collectively train and hone their skills, he said.
Mirror Staff Writer Greg Bock is at 946-7446.
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redfox666
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09-22-08 10:49 PM
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MAY GOD BE WITH YOU ALL,AND BRING YOU ALL BACK IN THE BEST OF HEALTH. GOD BLESS YOU ALL.
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donkeysrule
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09-22-08 9:32 PM
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I have four boys who have served in this conflict. Coming home can be as hard as going. Remember these soldiers when they return also. Never forget to thank a vet. We owe each and everyone of them.
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marasmom28
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09-22-08 2:24 PM
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Stay strong and safe guys! We're all praying for your safe return!!
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pepsipa1
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09-22-08 1:52 PM
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ALL OUR LOVE AND THOUGHTS ANF PRAYERS ARE WITH THE TROPS AND FAMILIES, MAY THEY ALL COME HOME SAFE TOGETHER!!!!!!!
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