Saturday, August 04, 2007

Welcome Home ~ Festivities for the Oregon 41st BCT


Tigard Mayor Craig Dirksen is scheduled to speak at a welcome home ceremony honoring Soldiers from the 41st Brigade Combat Team at 11:15 a.m., Aug. 4, 2007 at the Tigard High School football stadium. Prior to the ceremony will be a parade beginning at 10:00 a.m.

Major General Raymond F. Rees, the Adjutant General, Oregon National Guard, and Brigadier General Douglas Pritt, commander of the 41st Brigade Combat Team, will also speak at the event.

The ceremony, sponsored by American Legion Post 158, will honor Oregon Army National Guard Soldiers who recently returned from a year-long deployment to Afghanistan. More than 900 Soldiers were deployed as a part of Task Force Phoenix V in support of Operation Enduring Freedom.

The day-long festivities will begin with a parade which starts at 10:00 a.m. at 113th St. and Durham Rd. in Tigard. The procession will make its way along Durham Rd. to Tigard High School for the ceremony. Following the official event, an afternoon of activities is planned at nearby Cook Park until 4:00 p.m.

Activities will include face painting, rock climbing wall, jump houses, dunk tank, weapons displays, antique car show, military vehicle show, and vendor booths. Food is also provided and will include hot dogs, hamburgers, ice cream, popcorn and more. Food and games at the event are free of charge in celebration of the return of Task Force Phoenix V Soldiers.

Task Force Phoenix has a unique mission to train and mentor members of the Afghan National Army (ANA). The ANA is an all-volunteer army, much like the military forces in the United States.

If you are in the area, stop by and thank them and welcome them home!!!

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Scheduled to show up, but cancelled are : Governor Kulongoski (D), Congresswoman Darlene Hooley (D), Congressman Peter DeFazio (D), Senator Gordon Smith (R?) - Now tell us about how you support the troops and the war in Afghanistan....

2 comments:

Sarge Charlie said...

God bless them, I am happy Americans are there for them when they come home, I missed that part.

Flag Gazer said...

The politicians couldn't be bothered, but it was probably MUCH better without them!

I'm sorry that your war was treated so badly by most Americans.