It was a privilege to be part of the National Guard deployment parade through Willmar on Thursday.
I have been a member of the Minnesota Patriot Guard since February 2006, and have participated in numerous deployment missions in this part of the state.
But all of us who were escort riders agree that we have never seen such a community turnout in support of YOUR troops as we saw Thursday, as your citizens and school students lined the streets, and filled the gymnasium for the deployment ceremony. We met numerous courteous Willmar police officers, firemen, and EMT personnel, all who thanked us for being there.
We thank your community for inviting us.
I would now ask each of you to ask yourself, "What can we do to continue to support our troops while they are gone?" Rake leaves, shovel a sidewalk, mow a lawn, offer to babysit a deployed family’s children so the spouse can have night out. Wear red shirts on Fridays. Invite them in or take them out for a meal. Pray for their safety.
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A year will go by fast for the rest of us, but will be extremely slow for the families of the deployed troops. Be there again when they come home.
Alan Peterson
Marshall
