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TOP: Sgt. 1st Class Derrick Ward hugs his family goodbye during yesterday's deployment ceremony at the National Guard Armory.
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Sgt. Robert Sylvestre kisses his girlfriend, Kristen Elliott, as soldiers and their families say goodbye
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Diana Racey of Woodstock breaks into tears after watching her son, Jason Fadeley, |
By ELIZABETH PEZZULLO
Now Ron Miner knows how his parents felt.
In 1967, Miner was a freshman at Furman University in South Carolina when he dropped out to fight in Vietnam.
His son, Ryan, nearly did the same thing after Sept. 11 while a college student at George Mason University. Instead, the younger Miner finished school and joined the Army National Guard.
Yesterday, the 25-year-old Herndon soldier left for Fort Dix, N.J., with 110 other members of the 116th Brigade Troops Battalion based in Fredericksburg. Sixty-six soldiers from Company C, 3rd Battalion, 116th Infantry, out of Leesburg, were dispatched as well.
"Now I know what I did to my parents," Ron Miner said, his voice dropping.
But Miner the elder, who lives in Fairfax, wasn't about to let his son--or any of the other soldiers--leave without a proper send-off.
On Saturday, nearly 500 people showed up at the National Guard Armory in Fredericksburg to bid the soldiers a safe journey.
Food and drinks were served throughout the three-hour shindig that included encouraging remarks from House of Delegates Speaker Bill Howell, R-Stafford, and entertainment by Nashville recording artist Katy Benko. Benko also happens to be Ryan Miner's wife.
Benko delighted the guests with a variety of country standards, cover tunes and moving patriotic ballads.
Scrub-faced soldiers milled around the armory and clung tightly to wives or girlfriends.
"Your first reaction is fear," Ryan Miner said of learning that he was going to Iraq. "But I feel everything is in order and this is what we've trained for. I feel as prepared as we can."
Police escorted the soldiers' four charter buses past an applauding and cheering crowd on Caroline Street before they pulled out of Fredericksburg yesterday. Many spectators had no relation to the departing troops. Association with the Iraq war was enough.
"All these guys are our sons," said Jane Holls of Fredericksburg, whose son William has been in Iraq for four months, with three to go. "When you have one over there, they all are."
Others just wanted to show support with signs such as "Thank You," "May God bless you and your family" and "Git-R-Done."
"Who knows if it's right or wrong?" said Tina Phillips of Falmouth. "We've got to look after each other.
"To look down Caroline Street and see all the flags is a beautiful sight anyhow," she said.
After about three months of training in New Jersey, the men will head to southern Iraq where they will provide security, Miner said.
Audrey Miner, who organized the event with her husband and others, was happy the soldiers and their families could mix and spend quality time.
But even this fabulous send-off couldn't loosen the knot in her gut.
"Every time a mother sees a son in uniform it brings tears to her eyes."
To reach ELIZABETH PEZZULLO:
Email: epezzullo@freelancestar.com
