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DEL.ICIO.USFamilies gather for festival
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Saturday was about face painting, hay rides and heroes.
More than 100 people with loved ones serving with the Georgia Army National Guard’s 48th Brigade Combat Team came to Canton for a Homefront Heroes Fall Festival.
As families arrived at the farm of Ann and Tom Earley, some gathered around to share news and to give hand squeezes and hugs. Families from Canton, Calhoun, Dalton, Rome and Douglasville were invited to the grass-roots event. Most of the soldiers are scheduled to come home in May.
Michelle Wardell, of Euharlee, is the family readiness group leader for the Canton Guard unit. She is a sympathetic ear and sounding board for many people in the area.
“We can share our stories and uplift each other,” Wardell said. “We call one another and share the joys and trauma.”
And that’s vital to the families’ morale. These wives also worry because their men from the 108th Armor Battalion are on forward operating bases outside Camp Striker in Baghdad.
“Every time I know he’s gone out on patrol I get sick. He’s training the Iraqi soldiers,” said Alecia O’Keefe, mother of five children ages 5 to 13. Her husband, Sgt. John O’Keefe, is a heating and air-conditioning repairman back home.
Saturday’s event was “a very much needed social outlet. Nobody but these people know how we feel,” she added.
Patricia Stipe of Snellville said she stays busy running her two sons, 9 and 12, to activities.
“I stay too busy, and with a full-time job,” she said as she watched her younger son ride a horse. Her husband, Sgt. Samuel Stipe, has been in Iraq since May. When he’s not soldiering, he works at a packaging company in Villa Rica. Patricia was glad she heard about the festival through an e-mail from Wardell.
Ben Waldrop, a Guard recruiter in Canton, said he, too, appreciated the event.
“To have somebody who genuinely cares — it does wonders for them,” Waldrop said. “The soldiers see someone’s helping out at home, and they can focus on the task at hand. The guys overseas get to see what the community did for them.”
Waldrop said it was hard to stay here while the Canton group went to Iraq.
“Forty percent of the Canton unit is kids I recruited,” he said.
At Saturday’s event, families were given a variety of gift certificates donated by area merchants. Ann Earley estimated about 150 people attended along with 50 volunteers.
Lindsay Kidson, 17, is a member of Sequoyah High School’s Air Force Junior ROTC. Kidson and members of the ROTC volunteered at the festival.
“It’s good to get in touch with people and find out what it’s like,” said Kidson, who plans to attend Clemson University and join the Air Force after graduation.
Comments
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By pamela bentley
October 13, 2005 07:17 PM | Link to this
My husband is attached out to the 48th. I feel like were really out of the loop because i dont know who the readiness leader is for my family. Sometimes i feel all alone. My husband and i communicate all the time but i would like to build relationships with the families back here. If someone could notify me of a contact person it would be great. Holidays are fast approaching and any of these kind of events that will lift the kids spirits as well as mine would be appreciated. Thank you, Pam Bentley
By christy
October 13, 2005 07:36 PM | Link to this
Thank you Ann and Tom Earley. We had a wonderful time. The farm was so beautiful and the weather followed suit. I felt as if we were on a mini vacation. My daughter had a great time too and that is the most important thing to me these days with her dad gone. Thanks again, Christy Bentjen
By Michele Pierce
October 14, 2005 10:52 AM | Link to this
Tom and Ann thank you so much, again you have shown how much the community of Canton supports our family’s and our soldiers. My children and I had a wonderful time and really appreciate the hard work and effort you put into the festival. My husband, SFC Charles T. Pierce, also says thank you.
By Wendy
October 14, 2005 12:26 PM | Link to this
This is for Pam…What unit is your husband with? Different units have different Family Readiness Groups.
By Hope Field
October 14, 2005 03:59 PM | Link to this
To Pamela Bentley, My name is Hope Field. I am the secretary for the 108th out of Canton, attached to the 48th. If you could give more info on your soldier, I could find out who your FRG leader is, or you are welcome to join our group.I hope to hear from you. My e-mail is mariettafield@yahoo.com Hope
By Alabama celebrated too!
October 15, 2005 01:11 AM | Link to this
It is wonderful to hear that the Georgia FSG held a get together! It is very uplifting to have such great FSG’s for the families to connect with, share, and understand the trials and tribulations that soldier’s families go through during deployments. Our FSG also had a huge Fall Festival, with more than 250+ visitors from the community, contests, prizes, food and fun! Although our volunteer staff was about 25 family members, it was a wonderful opportunity to show the community who is deployed and fighting in the War on Terrorism from our State. There are so many wonderful public and private businesses that contributed to our Fall Festival, it is hard to put into words the deep felt gratitude we have to our local community. The visitors enjoyed our “Wall of Heroes” display, showing the faces of each soldier deployed. If you haven’t joined an FSG yet, I recommend getting a hold of your Local Family Readiness Organization, to locate the FSG for your Unit. God Bless you all! God Bless our Soldier’s.
By Pat
October 17, 2005 02:17 PM | Link to this
How sad you can’t tell the good new from Iraq. Several of the 48th received their Infantry Combat Badge this week. They are very proud of this accomplishment, so where were your newsmen?
By webmaster@bravocofrg1-108ar
October 19, 2005 08:13 AM | Link to this
Pamela Bentley——-Please visit our website www.bravocofrg1-108ar.com there is alot of information and a calender of events. There is a long list of people you can get in touch with to find out when FRG meetings are in your area and who to talk to about support. We also have a yahoo group to get in touch with other wives. I hope this helps. Stay strong.