thedrifter
03-21-03, 07:22 AM
Locals rally to support area troops
Timmi Toler
Community Editor
Under gray skies and drizzling rain, more than a hundred people stood on the lawn at the old train depot in downtown Jacksonville Saturday to show their support of American troops who are facing a possible war with Iraq. As patriotic music played in the background, the group waved American Flags, held up signs of support and listened to area leaders who spoke at the rally.
“I don’t know about you, but I feel like I am cheating when I sit down to a hot meal in a warm house and then I think about our troops that are away from home, out in the desert, ready to defend this country,” said Onslow County Sheriff Ed Brown who kicked off the event. “It (bothers) me when I see others who don’t know what peace costs. Those same people have the audacity to come against the President who is trying to take a stand and not let terrorism and tyranny take that peace away. Terrorism has tried to rob us of peace before, on 9/11. We need to stand up for our troops as much as we need to stand up for America.”
State Representatives Robert Grady and Keith Williams also spoke at the event. “I support our President and I support our troops and I think I speak for the people of Onslow County when I say that,” said Grady who was met with cheers from the crowd.
Williams expressed his disappointment with the turnout.
“I was hoping to see a whole mall full of people here today,” he said. “Rain, snow or sleet – our troops are out in any type of weather.”
“They are always there for us and we need to be there for them,” echoed Jacksonville City Councilman Martin Aragona. Aragona was the originator of a city resolution passed recently that expresses support for local troops and their mission. “We’re proud of our Marines and of their families. We know their mission is just.”
The rally was organized by Rusty Collins who wanted a format to counter anti-war demonstrations and to advocate the mission of service members. “Our hope is that the troops will somehow get to see this support and will know how important they are to us,” she said.
Jacksonville resident Mickey McCall said she had been waiting for an opportunity like the one offered on Saturday. “I can’t
“If I get back, I will never leave Pennsylvania again.”
Moran sports a tattoo on his neck, just low enough where it won’t show with his olive green T-shirt on. That means he won’t violate Marine regulations. The tattoo is in Arabic and says, “this too shall pass.”
“I have three tattoos,” Moran said. “This one I got when we heard word that we were going to be activated again,” Moran said. “Last time we stayed at French Creek, but now there is another reserve unit there from California.”
The headquarters company for 2/25 is from Garden City, N.Y. Other units include Echo Company from Harrisburg, Pa., Fox Company, from Albany, N.Y., Golf Company from Dover, N.J. and a TOW weapons company from Broken Arrow, Okla.
“I think of North Carolina as my second home,” said Lance Cpl. Anthony Klase, 23, of Harrisburg, Pa. “I just spent a whole year down here.”
He’s married with two stepchildren, ages 10 and 6.
“My wife is taking it the best she can,” Klase said. “She’s used to the whole situation after last year, but this (activation) is for a new reason so she’s a little hesitant and scared about the whole situation now.”
When he’s not in uniform, Jones works for a well drilling company.
“We knew about three or four weeks before that we could deploy, but we didn’t know for sure until about two days they called for a family day.”
“I have no clue how long we’ll be here, but my buddy and I were told we’re leaving Sunday. I guess we’ll find out then The 2d Battalion/25th Marines formed in May 1943 at Camp Lejeune. It was relocated three months later to Camp Pendleton where it was assigned to the 4th Marine Division. It deployed in early 1944 to Hwakalein Atoll and the Marshall Islands. It saw action in Kwajalein, Saipan, Tinian and Iwo Jima, but was deactivated after the war in 1945.
Less than two decades later it was reactivated as a reserve unit and this time had a home base of Garden City, N.Y. Reactivated July 1 1962 at Garden City, New York, and assigned to the 4th Marine Division, U.S. Marine Corps Reserve. It was activated in 1990-91 in support of Operation Desert Shield and Desert Storm.
“Being in the reserve, we need to be ready, willing and able to be called up for an emergency or other contingencies,” said 2d Battalion, 25th Marine Regiment Executive Officer Maj. Ralph Dengler, 36, from the Bronx, N.Y.
Last year’s call-up fell into the category of a contingency, as the reservists participated in training evolutions in California and a peace- keeping operation in Kosovo, he said.
This year is more of an emergency, as reservists wait for a flight to the Persian Gulf that should be set sometime within the next few weeks.
“(Last year) we were ready, but we were really able to fine-tune and enhance our capabilities,” Dengler said.
Eric Steinkopff of the Jacksonville Daily News contributed to this report.
Sempers,
Roger
Timmi Toler
Community Editor
Under gray skies and drizzling rain, more than a hundred people stood on the lawn at the old train depot in downtown Jacksonville Saturday to show their support of American troops who are facing a possible war with Iraq. As patriotic music played in the background, the group waved American Flags, held up signs of support and listened to area leaders who spoke at the rally.
“I don’t know about you, but I feel like I am cheating when I sit down to a hot meal in a warm house and then I think about our troops that are away from home, out in the desert, ready to defend this country,” said Onslow County Sheriff Ed Brown who kicked off the event. “It (bothers) me when I see others who don’t know what peace costs. Those same people have the audacity to come against the President who is trying to take a stand and not let terrorism and tyranny take that peace away. Terrorism has tried to rob us of peace before, on 9/11. We need to stand up for our troops as much as we need to stand up for America.”
State Representatives Robert Grady and Keith Williams also spoke at the event. “I support our President and I support our troops and I think I speak for the people of Onslow County when I say that,” said Grady who was met with cheers from the crowd.
Williams expressed his disappointment with the turnout.
“I was hoping to see a whole mall full of people here today,” he said. “Rain, snow or sleet – our troops are out in any type of weather.”
“They are always there for us and we need to be there for them,” echoed Jacksonville City Councilman Martin Aragona. Aragona was the originator of a city resolution passed recently that expresses support for local troops and their mission. “We’re proud of our Marines and of their families. We know their mission is just.”
The rally was organized by Rusty Collins who wanted a format to counter anti-war demonstrations and to advocate the mission of service members. “Our hope is that the troops will somehow get to see this support and will know how important they are to us,” she said.
Jacksonville resident Mickey McCall said she had been waiting for an opportunity like the one offered on Saturday. “I can’t
“If I get back, I will never leave Pennsylvania again.”
Moran sports a tattoo on his neck, just low enough where it won’t show with his olive green T-shirt on. That means he won’t violate Marine regulations. The tattoo is in Arabic and says, “this too shall pass.”
“I have three tattoos,” Moran said. “This one I got when we heard word that we were going to be activated again,” Moran said. “Last time we stayed at French Creek, but now there is another reserve unit there from California.”
The headquarters company for 2/25 is from Garden City, N.Y. Other units include Echo Company from Harrisburg, Pa., Fox Company, from Albany, N.Y., Golf Company from Dover, N.J. and a TOW weapons company from Broken Arrow, Okla.
“I think of North Carolina as my second home,” said Lance Cpl. Anthony Klase, 23, of Harrisburg, Pa. “I just spent a whole year down here.”
He’s married with two stepchildren, ages 10 and 6.
“My wife is taking it the best she can,” Klase said. “She’s used to the whole situation after last year, but this (activation) is for a new reason so she’s a little hesitant and scared about the whole situation now.”
When he’s not in uniform, Jones works for a well drilling company.
“We knew about three or four weeks before that we could deploy, but we didn’t know for sure until about two days they called for a family day.”
“I have no clue how long we’ll be here, but my buddy and I were told we’re leaving Sunday. I guess we’ll find out then The 2d Battalion/25th Marines formed in May 1943 at Camp Lejeune. It was relocated three months later to Camp Pendleton where it was assigned to the 4th Marine Division. It deployed in early 1944 to Hwakalein Atoll and the Marshall Islands. It saw action in Kwajalein, Saipan, Tinian and Iwo Jima, but was deactivated after the war in 1945.
Less than two decades later it was reactivated as a reserve unit and this time had a home base of Garden City, N.Y. Reactivated July 1 1962 at Garden City, New York, and assigned to the 4th Marine Division, U.S. Marine Corps Reserve. It was activated in 1990-91 in support of Operation Desert Shield and Desert Storm.
“Being in the reserve, we need to be ready, willing and able to be called up for an emergency or other contingencies,” said 2d Battalion, 25th Marine Regiment Executive Officer Maj. Ralph Dengler, 36, from the Bronx, N.Y.
Last year’s call-up fell into the category of a contingency, as the reservists participated in training evolutions in California and a peace- keeping operation in Kosovo, he said.
This year is more of an emergency, as reservists wait for a flight to the Persian Gulf that should be set sometime within the next few weeks.
“(Last year) we were ready, but we were really able to fine-tune and enhance our capabilities,” Dengler said.
Eric Steinkopff of the Jacksonville Daily News contributed to this report.
Sempers,
Roger