Posted on 09/29/2006 4:14:03 PM PDT by saganite
PORTSMOUTH -- A late-hour decision to refuel at Pease rather than Bangor, Maine, gave the families of 138 New Hampshire Army National Guardsmen the chance to embrace loved ones a final time, just briefly, before they continued on to Kuwait and Iraq.
The Perreault family of Exeter was among hundreds who gathered at the Pease Aviation Terminal at 1 a.m. Monday to meet the 3643rd Security Force during its brief refueling stop. They had come to see Pvt. Mark Perrault Jr., a 2002 Exeter High School graduate who was en route from training at Camp Shelby in Mississippi to Kuwait and then deployment in Iraq.
This would be Perreault's first deployment to Iraq.
"Of course I'm a little worried," said his father, Mark Sr. "But I think it's an honorable thing to do."
Mark's mom, Bobby Ricci, said she has been in denial about the deployment.
"Sometimes it's better not to be on top of all the details," she said. "Sometimes it's better just to leave things alone."
When the World Airways 767 touched down at approximately 1:15 a.m. family, friends and representatives from local veterans organizations created two long lines and, as the soldiers entered the terminal, a rousing cheer went up and didn't stop until the last member of the Concord-based company, along with another 170 more Guardsmen from Wyoming and Fort Bragg, had deplaned.
Mothers, wives, girlfriends (most of the guardsmen deploying with the 3643rd were men) quickly spotted their loved ones and hugged and kissed them between tears and laughter.
The Perreault family found Mark looking tall, strong and rested in his light desert camouflage fatigues.
Mark talked about the three months of training he had just completed at Camp Shelby. In Iraq he and his division will guard detainees and escort convoys. This is a new mission for the 3643rd, which, until taking on its new security role, had been known as the 3643rd Maintenance Company.
It was hot in Mississippi but it will also be hot in Iraq. So that was good training. PV2 Perreault said the hardest part of training was getting pepper-sprayed in the face.
"It's been hard being away from my family," he said. The looks on the faces of his parents, sister, Kelsea, brother, Thatcher and girlfriend, Amanda Hodges, showed the feeling was mutual.
Perreault said he "will definitely miss Exeter," and that after his 18-month deployment, (he will spend 12 months in Iraq), he's looking forward to coming home, buying a motorcycle and getting a job.
Many National Guard families at Pease Monday morning have said goodbye to their loved ones before.
But many said this was different because the company wasn't going to training or to a peaceful military base, but to Iraq and to war.
With the 767 fully fueled by 3 a.m. the Guardsmen gathered for a formal photo. After the photo was taken, Ed Johnson, commandant of the Marine Corps League Seacoast Detachment, set the moment in its historic perspective.
"Standing before you are veterans from World War II, Korea, Vietnam, Desert Storm and the Cold War," Johnson said. "We, the old warriors, salute you, the young warriors."
The guardsmen boarded with shouts of "we'll see you in a year," and family members, no longer needing to show a brave face, allowed the tears to fall.
***"We, the old warriors, salute you, the young warriors."***
I don't cry easily, but that line did it.
That scene should be used in some future (conservative) movie.
***"We, the old warriors, salute you, the young warriors."***
I don't cry easily, but that line did it.
That scene should be used in some future (conservative) movie.
Yeah, that was a good line. I enjoyed this article because it didn't introduce any politics and was sympathetic to the troops and their mission.
This is good
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