Give Credit Where it is Due...You!

On the heels of Monday's emotional sendoff of the troops of Charlie Company, plenty of praise is coming my way. And this blog entry is about that.

The praise should be going to the great people of Douglas County.

When I heard that the deployment date had been sent, I made a few phone calls to people in law enforcement and to my soldier buddy Manny Annear to get things rolling.

After that, it was all you.

Without the love all of you have for those men and women - and their families - all the talking on the radio in the world wouldn't have done a thing.

But time and time again, patriotic people in Douglas County come forward when called upon.
Not only that, they take it to a level that few places can match.

From the turn on Airport Road next to the Armory and all the way to Harvard and I-5, cheering crowds greeted those three buses and all the rest of us in the procession with wave upon wave of love and respect.

To think that all of you stopped what you were doing for a few minutes and found a spot along the route in order to display such a simple show of support for the soldiers, means alot.

All along Edenbower, Stephens and Garden Valley, people parked, waited and then exploded.

The images that flash through my mind right now bring tears to my eyes. Bright red, white and blue flags, yellow ribbons and all the signs combined with the cheering and waving was beautiful to see.

Then, the poignent, solemn veterans along the way who stood and saluted to the troops, knowing full well that what is happening is something they fought hard to prevent. But also knowing exactly what its like to be on one of those buses...

Little kids with their parents and grandparents who hardly know whats going on will remember the feeling they had when their whole community stood up to say thank you.

The stretch through the VA was even more amazing because of all the veterans, and the doctors and nurses and staff who serve them, standing, sitting or just smiling as the buses went by.

Those memorial flags along the route added an almost magical element to the scene - and the weather was perfect! Is there anything as beautiful as the Stars and Stripes when the sun hits the flag just right? I don't think so.

Then, the kids at Fir Grove followed that up with enthusiasm and love - and those signs!!

Despite a very nicely executed traffic jam on Harvard, drivers buried hundreds of cars into the line were smiling and honking and giving the processon a 'thumbs up'.

In the end, the procession led south on to Medford. I turned around at the Fairgrounds and it hit me that they were gone.

Then, a simple two word text message from my friend Sgt Gene Thomey came in to my phone.
It hit me hard and caused me to break down for the first time that day.

'Thanks Brian'.

No, man. Thank you.

And thank you, too Douglas County.

Lets do it even bigger when those men and women come home.