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165th Airlift Wing Gets Some Unusual Support

photo courtesy of Scott Bryant - Savannah Morning NewsOn the morning of March 5, one day before the Georgia Guard’s 165th Airlift Wing left for the Persian Gulf, Lt. Col. Stephen Melton and his fellow airmen took their families to the Cracker Barrel Old Country Store in Pooler, Ga. After breakfast, Melton planned to find a flag that his crew would carry the next day to the Persian Gulf. He never expected he would find one before he even left the restaurant.

During breakfast, he noticed an American flag on display in the Cracker Barrel dining room. With some encouragement from his companions, he asked Associate Manager Mike Killeen if the 165th could "borrow" the flag. Killeen immediately responded "yes!" and declared that Cracker Barrel would be honored to help.

Killeen personally thanked all 13 airmen for their willingness to serve the nation. (He also picked up the check!) Following an impromptu presentation ceremony, the soldiers left Cracker Barrel proudly holding the flag.

The Guardsmen said the decision helped their morale. 165th members with the flag at the Khandahar airport in Afghanistan"It meant a lot to us and I will never forget Mike’s gesture of support," said Melton.

The following day elements of the 165th took off for the Persian Gulf. As the first plane headed for the runway, Major Brad Cousar, a 165th pilot, popped out of the hatch and unfurled the flag that the airmen received from Cracker Barrel. The families standing on the tarmac cheered. Scott Bryant, a photographer with the Savannah Morning News, snapped a photo that captured the intensity of the moment.

Melton’s mother-in-law, Xandra Beard, said she’s amazed at how much impact this Cracker Barrel donation has made. "As I stood there on March 6th, sad and yet so proud, and watched Brad wave that flag with such fierce pride, I marveled again at how one act could make such an emotional time seem a little better," said Xandra.

On the ground at Baghdad International Airport (formerly Saddam Hussein International) and under the cloak of darkness, we unfurled the Cracker Barrel flag and waved it over this symbolic piece of real estate during our brief visit to the Iraqi capitol city. Through Night Vision Goggles, Major Tyson Rhame (left) and Major Jeff Bowers proudly display the stars and stripes. Lieutenant Brian Bowen is credited with the photo. Also on the crew that night were Major Chris Gray, Senior Master Sergeant Bruce Walters, Senior Master Sergeant Dennis Smith, Staff Sergeant Sylvester Brown and Senior Airman Guy Lupica." The airmen with the 165th have raised what they call the "Cracker Barrel Flag" in Iraq, Afghanistan, and Oman. A highlight was unfurling it at the Baghdad International Airport -- formerly Saddam Hussein International -- where they took dramatic photos using night vision goggles.

The airmen are already making plans for a ceremony at the Pooler Cracker Barrel location when they bring the flag home.

Read more on the Cracker Barrel Web Site

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