1450th Honored in High School Ceremony
By Linda Burchette Assistant Editor
The Jefferson Post
Thunderous applause,
whistles and cheers greeted the 1450th Transportation Company of the North
Carolina Army National Guard Friday night as they marched into the gym at Ashe County
High School. It was a
moving ceremony capping off an emotional homecoming week for these citizen
soldiers who had spent the past year in Kuwait
and Iraq.
Tears were shed as the
audience listened to a member of the 440th Army Band from Raleigh sing “An
American Soldier,” and everyone stood up when he sang the words from “God Bless
the USA” that say, “And I’d gladly stand up next to you and defend her still
today....”
The 1450th was recognized and praised by a number of dignitaries,
including Congresswoman Virginia Foxx, Brigadier General Ronnie Griffin, second
in command for the North Carolina Army National Guard, and CPT Herbert Judon,
commander of the 1450th.
“It’s an honor to be here to welcome you home,” said Foxx. “You’ve done a
phenomenal job and should be appreciated for your service. That service helps
preserve our freedom. America
owes its very existence to veterans like you.”
Foxx read a touching poem about a soldier entitled, “The Bravest Man I
Know,” and noted that while the words may say “man” they also apply to the
brave women of the 1450th and other military units.
“Thank you from the bottom of all our hearts
for the sacrifices you have made and your families have made,” Foxx concluded.
“Hopefully, one day, we won’t have to go through these kinds of wars.”
Griffin, Deputy Adjutant General for
the North Carolina Army National Guard who was commissioned in 1975 and is the
recipient of a Bronze Star for valor, said, “This unit’s performance was
outstanding and should be recognized.”
Statistics of the Guard he
noted included: a 97 percent operational readiness, which is uncommon for a
maintenance company; service in over 180 combat missions marking 4.9 million
miles traveled in Iraq and Kuwait;
and presentation of 12 Purple Hearts and 14 Bronze Stars (including one to a
member of the 1st Detachment 1450th).
“You can’t fight
terrorism without the National Guard,” Griffin
said. “They know that in Washington.
And there’s not one person sitting here who was not a volunteer. You all went
and did what you did and you all volunteered to do it.”
Griffin praised
those who have supported the National Guard. “Only 2 percent of U.S. citizens
do anything to support the war effort,” he said. “If you’re in this room,
you’re among that 2 percent.” And he recognized employers who support the
Guard. “These soldiers could not go out and do their job without knowing their
jobs were waiting back at home,” he said.
Griffin said he
would be retiring April 30 with 38 years of military service. “This is probably
the last time my ?ag is going to ?y, and I couldn’t be prouder that it’s here,”
he said to the people of Ashe
County. “God bless you.
God bless America, and the
great state of North Carolina.”
The crowd filling the bleachers in the gym heard last from the leader of the
1450th, CPT Herbert Judon, who shared some details of their deployment to the Middle East.
“Sometimes too much credit goes to the leadership,” Judon said, and then led a
round of applause for the soldiers of the 1450th.“ Early on in the deployment,
I would stand in awe at the hardy nature of these soldiers,” he said. “They
were going into Iraq
bravely and with confidence.”
J u d o n praised the
1 4 5 0 t h ’ s c l o s e - ness, work ethic, and faith. They worked the
hardest of any unit, he said, compiling the highest mileage totals of any
platoon in the company, logging more mission miles than any other unit, and
therefore spending more time in Iraq
than any of the other units.
Some of the soldiers were singled out by Judon for their efforts.
SSG Rob Moore didn’t shy away from leadership, he said, but excelled at it and
was a NCO that everyone respected and could follow with confidence. SGT Misty
Crawford was steady and dependable, he said, with the third or fourth highest
number of mission miles in the company. SGT David Osborne had the opportunity
not to deploy with the company, Judon said, but demanded to be included. “That
day, I took an order from a sergeant,” he said. And SSG Timothy Howell, Judon
noted, compared the yearlong deployment with days of the week. With the 1450th
deployed early last year, Howell would say that August was like Thursday, Judon
said, while December was like going to bed on Friday night and March, the
longed for end of the deployment, was like waking up for church on Sunday
morning.
Judon said that when asked in an interview how the company prepared for
such a successful mission, he told the interviewer there were three things of
importance: they prayed a lot, with a group prayer before each trip into Iraq
usually led by SGT Gary Lyalls; they went in trained but not completely
prepared so they became quick learners who didn’t repeat mistakes; and he had
soldiers that took care of one another, especially the NCOs.
“I saw these soldiers overcome more than any other company,” said Judon, such
as being in Kuwait only four
days before being asked to go into Iraq. That is unheard of, he said,
as most units have a month or more to prepare before going on their ?rst
mission. The 1450th began their missions last spring at the peak of the
insurgency uprising. They participated in two major surges and one minisurge,
and pioneered a high pro?le mission into Baghdad.
And they were the only unit in the battalion that had to move their location
while continuing their missions.
The 1450th endured over 30 attacks of different natures by the enemy, said
Judon. “They were tough and endured a lot over the past year, but the toughest
part was being separated from their families and friends,” he said. “You were
the focus for them.” He said the soldiers didn’t talk of missions and war but
of families and home.
“Be proud of their
service and know their efforts were not in vain,” Judon concluded. “They did what few can do but every American
depends on them to do. They missed a lot, anniversaries and birthdays and
family events, but they gained a lot, too. Personal strength and endurance, a
great feeling of accomplishment, appreciation of family and home, friends for
life, a hero’s welcome, and the permanent respect of their country.”
Following Judon’s remarks,
he and the 1450th were presented a framed resolution of support and
appreciation from the Ashe County Board of Commissioners, presented by Vice
Chairman Richard Blackburn.
More cheers and
applause accompanied the soldiers of the 1450th as they departed the gym for a
reception with their families and members of the public gathered to welcome
them home.
They now have 90 days of
liberty before official release from duty.
