Hi Everyone!
I hope you had a great weekend! It is unusual for me to need two or three days to put a post together, but I think this one was worth the effort.
I have written before about aspects of living in a small town, e.g. Of Waves and Pens, but last week I was privileged to observe another facet in the town where I have worked for over 20 years.
Last year, on June 12, 2010, the Alabama Army National Guard 214th Military Police Company was deployed to Iraq for the third time, this time to help train Iraqi police officers. (The 214th’s prior deployments were in 1991, as part of Operation Desert Storm, when it was awarded the Meritorious Unit Award, and in 2003. )
364 days later, on Friday, June 10, 2011, the small town where I work turned out to welcome the first wave of returnees back home. Originally, 170 members were deployed; over 100 of those got to come home Friday; another 57 will follow in about three weeks. While the unit draws on individuals from my working town, the neighboring communities and one small city, the deployment of 170 people always has a serious impact on small towns and their surrounding communities. There is an economic price since there are not as many people to buy things, but there is an even larger human price – each one of those guard members have family – husbands, wives, mothers, fathers, children, aunts and uncles and cousins – who need to “hold the fort” while the members are gone. I am sure there are sleepless nights for both the guard member and the family, wondering how things are going “over there” and hoping that nobody gets hurt. A small town feels that pain, necessarily, more so than a larger community. It is hard not to know someone affected by the Guard’s deployment in one manner or another; even if you don’t have a deployed member in your family, you know someone who does.
These men and women, who choose to serve, leave their families when asked by the Army to fly halfway across the world in order to protect all of us. They deserve our respect, and gratitude, and I was very proud of my town for showing out in force to demonstrate both.
Well before Friday, yellow ribbons started appearing all over town, welcoming home the 214th. There was a yellow ribbon on the local hospital’s main sign:
as well as the town roundabout. (The town roundabout is the latest answer to a traffic issue my town has faced for over 100 years, the circle around the courthouse square. When a great fire came along and destroyed much of the city in the 1900’s, a newspaper article was written expressing the hope that something could be done to better enable traffic flow around what was, at the time, the County Courthouse. The roundabout has helped some, although when I am in a particularly absent-minded mood, I sometimes have the feeling that I may have circled the road three or four times before I hit the right exit!)
Because of its location, the town roundabout is, in a way, the heart of the city. It was properly decorated with ribbons was well.
Our law office had yellow ribbons on both the front and the back doors.
As did much of the rest of downtown:
On the four-lane highway through the outskirts of town, each light post was decorated with a yellow ribbon also, while every other light post had two flags on each side of it. A huge cliff in our area, called Patriot’s Point for the huge flag that permanently resides there, also boasted a “Welcome Home 214th” sign about halfway up the cliff – someone had to do some climbing to get there!
Here’s a closer look at the sign:
The City Sportplex decorated both of their entrances with yellow ribbons:
Then the police car leading the buses came up the road, with its lights flashing and sirens on.
Followed by the first bus:

Second Bus
I did not choose to go forward toward the armory to see the final reunion between loved ones; that moment belongs to the families, and only to them, but it made me feel happy to know how many families were about to be made happy and whole again.
I am very proud of my working town for putting together a celebration that would help these military members know how welcome they are, and how much we honor their service, but I am even prouder of the men and women coming home; their service is essential to our country’s security and I admire them for the sacrifice that they make.
Have a great day everyone!
Nancy
Your kind words and patriotic spirit warms my heart. Although I did not see any war time when I was in the Navy, we always got a wonderful home coming after a deployment. What your community did for these people is beyond priceless. Congratulations on making someones life better…
Hi Lee! It’s always good to hear from you. I am very proud of this community. Nancy
I just wanted to let you know that you are a Genuine Blogger. Celebrate your blog, as it is comes across to the reader as heartfelt and genuine. There are no rules with this honor. Accept it and relish in the thought that your blog is “award worthy” without having any strings attached. It is an award that I hope allows recipients to know that their work is appreciated, valued, and noteworthy by a fellow blogger and it does not have the pressure of “rules and requirements” to follow. Receive and value it for the gift and honor in which it is intended. If you choose to give this award to a deserving fellow blogger, please do so with no “rules.” Award it to someone for his or her genuineness in blogging. Free and clear. Here is the post that explains the reasoning behind this award: https://justramblinpier.wordpress.com/2011/05/20/genuine-recognition/ . Here is your “badge/button” for you to grab your Genuine Blogger Award to post in your sidebar if you would like. http://justramblinpier.files.wordpress.com/2011/05/genuine-blogger-award.png
Just Ramblin’
Thank you very much! I really appreciate it and do value it. Give Sadie Lou and Miss Stella both a pat for me!
You are more than welcome. Your blog is genuine and you deserve it. I will pat them both for you. : )