PALESTINE —
The National Guard Delta Unit 144 is scheduled to deploy to Afghanistan, leaving Palestine on Friday.
The public is invited to attend a special celebration for the soldiers and their families from 5 to 8 p.m. Thursday at the National Guard Armory, 601 Armory Road, off Loop 256. Hamburgers, hot dogs, chips and cookies will be served. Activities for children are planned. The Joker’s Heart band will perform.
At 2 p.m. Friday, all are invited to wave flags and yellow ribbons from Loop 256 as the soldiers are sent off. They will leave the armory and travel west around the Loop to U.S. 287 North where they will leave Palestine.
“It’s our opportunity to thank them for the freedoms we enjoy every day. Without our soldiers, we wouldn’t have the freedom we have,” National Guard Delta Unit 144 Family Readiness Group Leader Phyllis King said Tuesday. “This is a way to show the guys the community here is behind them and we care by being here for them. A lot of them are going for the first time — they haven’t been through deployment before.”
At least 30 soldiers will be deployed, but an exact number was not available as of press time. Soldiers from this National Guard Unit are from all across the region including Fort Worth, Houston, Conroe, Bullard and Palestine.
“I would like to see the Loop (256) lined with people waving flags to send them off,” King said. “They will make a full circle around the Loop before leaving Palestine. I hope everyone will keep their yellow ribbons up until the soldiers come back home.”
The National Guard Unit’s FRG is in charge of helping to meet the needs of the families of the soldiers while they deployed.
“We help them find resources and are there for them when they need us,” King said. “We call them once a month to check on them and they have our number to call us anytime.”
To assist with this event, call King at 512-718-0816 or locally Anne Coleman at 903-723-1578 or Evelyn Cupit at 903-849-5361.
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