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Return to First Friday Briefing Thousands line streets to bid farewell to Guard Telegraph Staff Writer Original Story on macontelegraph.com DUBLIN - When members of Dublin's National Guard unit sets foot in Iraq, their memories of home will include the tears of family members as they departed Thursday, and the cheers of several thousand flag-waving residents who lined streets for a send-off.
Businesses along a parade route several miles long shut down as employees and others gathered to show their appreciation to Alpha Company of the 148th Support Battalion in the 48th Infantry Brigade. Units in Forsyth, Macon and Milledgeville also departed Thursday, along with several other units around the state. Capt. Roger Dillard of Alpha Company rode along with the troops as they departed the city, but he returned briefly to the armory before heading to Fort Stewart, where the troops will undergo intensive training for three months. "I'm just without words as far as the public turnout," he said. "There were people from all walks of life. Basically it shows our soldiers that the county is standing behind them, and as far as morale, that's going to go very far." About half of the 168-troop unit is already in Fort Stewart, and the rest gathered at the armory Thursday morning. The spirits of the troops appeared high, but many family members, including young children, were weeping. "I don't want to see him go, but I will keep him in prayer," said Mary Stanley, who came to see off her son, Sgt. Ricky Stanley of Montrose. Stanley hugged his tearful children before boarding for departure. "It's a little emotional, but at the same time, it's kind of got an adrenaline rush to it," he said. West Laurens High School cheerleaders lined the end of the route, along with family members who staked out the location to get a last look as the caravan headed toward Interstate 16. Simone Anderson sat on the hood of a car and waved a large American flag as she waited to watch her sister, Pfc. Faith Anderson pass by. Her sister is 22, and has been in the Guard for four years. This will be her first deployment. "At first she was terrified, but now she is all right and has accepted the fact that she has to go," said Anderson, who fought back tears as the caravan passed. Hundreds of people lined the streets downtown, including most of the county courthouse staff. Others made a special trip in for the send-off, even though they had no relatives in the Guard. "I came to support the troops," said Leila Mae Dollar, 77, of Adrian. "I don't know a one of them." At the armory, several local elected officials spoke to the troops. Dublin Mayor Phil Best told the troops that a big crowd was lined up to see them off. "This is nothing compared to what it will be like when you get home," he said. State Rep. DuBose Porter read from Psalms 91, which promises God's protection, and then turned to family members. "Remember when we send them off like this, we have to put them in the hands of the Lord," he said. On a drizzly morning in Forsyth, fire trucks and other rescue vehicles lined up in honor of the departing soldiers. School buses paused so that elementary students could wave goodbye. At the courthouse square, dozens of people waved American flags as members of the 148th Support Battalion based in Forsyth passed by. In seconds the troops were gone, and 56-year-old Jacquie Haynes' eyes were watering. Her husband, Maj. Steve Haynes, is the battalion's executive officer. He was on the bus to Fort Stewart. "I've done so good," Jacquie Haynes said. "I haven't cried until today, because I didn't want him to see me." Even after his 27 years and her three years in the service, "it's still hard," she said. "He's my friend, my buddy." Haynes was comforted by Spc. Kimberly Barnett, who will be part of the team staying home to, among other things, comfort families. Barnett, 24, said the deployment to Iraq will give the National Guard a chance to shake a reputation as merely a weekend job. She said she wishes she could go. "I have a husband and two small children at home who need me," she said. "But every one of them that just drove off needs me, too. I'll be glad to see them roll back in and come home, too." To contact Wayne Crenshaw, call (478) 275-1116 or e-mail wcrenshaw@macontel.com.
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