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Welcome parade in works for Bloomington-based troops
By Greg Cima
gcima@pantagraph.com
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BLOOMINGTON — Soldiers with the Bloomington-based military police battalion are expected home by mid-October, and support group members hope people will line up to cheer their return.

“Be ready to turn out to fill the streets,” said Mike Matejka, legislative affairs liaison for Operation Porchlight, a local support group for military families.

The organization is a partnership of American Red Cross of the Heartland, PATH, the United Way of McLean County and the Bloomington and Normal Trades and Labor Assembly.

Matejka said his group will receive word 72 hours before the return of soldiers with the Illinois National Guard’s 33rd Military Police Battalion. Though the group can’t give a date now for the soldiers’ return, “we want you to be ready.”

About 70 soldiers in the battalion were deployed to Iraq in late June 2006. Matejka noted that people lined Veterans Parkway to send off the soldiers at that time.

The returning soldiers will follow a parade route from Illinois State University onto Kingsley Street as it heads south through Normal and Bloomington until they arrive at Armory Drive, which intersections Main Street just north of Veterans Parkway.

Lyn Hruska, executive director of the American Red Cross of the Heartland, said the soldiers were promised a celebratory return. “We have to begin the process of welcoming our soldiers home,” Hruska said.

Terry Edmunds, director of communications for State Farm Insurance Cos.’ Military Affinity Group, said his group plans to decorate the town ahead of the soldiers’ arrival.

“The night before, we’re going up and down the entire parade route and putting yellow ribbons up,” Edmunds said.

Members of the affinity group also will supply snacks and soft drinks for soldiers at the Army National Guard facility on South Main Street, Edmunds said. And at some point in the near future, the group members will cook a hot breakfast for those soldiers.

Edmunds, a Vietnam veteran, said he is one of more than 300 State Farm employees who work in Bloomington and are involved in the affinity group. He said he and fellow Vietnam veterans weren’t treated well on their return home 37 years ago, and he doesn’t want to see such treatment for today’s soldiers.

Latonya Harris, coordinator for the Family Readiness Group and wife of a soldier now in Iraq, said friends and relatives have given a lot of support to the group for military families since the unit’s deployment. And there is excitement and a little anxiety among those families as the soldiers prepare to return, she said.

Harris’ husband, Staff Sgt. Sean Harris, is on his second deployment, she said. He was first deployed with a Chicago-based unit in 2003 and 2004.

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Reader comments on this story - 8 total

Note: All views and opinions expressed in reader comments are solely those of the individual submitting the comment, and not those of the Pantagraph or its staff.

Iraq Vet wrote on Sep 6, 2007 11:07 AM:

" I think this parade and welcome home will be awesome for the troops morale. When I returned from Iraq, we were a split unit and there was no welcome home for us because we were from many different states and only some close family members were able to be there for our arrival. While it's true you just want to be reunited with your loved ones, it is an awesome experience and feeling to see so many people that you don't know caring about you. My first deployment we were welcomed home with a police escort and parade and the mayor spoke. It was so great!! I hope as many people as possible will join in on the welcome home for these troops! "

Parade wrote on Sep 6, 2007 10:47 AM:

" I think they'll want a parade and they definitely deserve to welcomed home as heros. The war is wrong, but they did their job and for that they deserve respect. "

no, give them honor... wrote on Sep 6, 2007 10:44 AM:

" My husband is in Pontiac's Guard unit and he has been deployed three times and I will tell you this. Any community support is better than none. These men/woman need to see that the public respects them and honors them even if you do not agree with the current president or war. Also, since I am a spouse of a Military man. I would rather get the events out of the way when he comes home than have to go back later to do it. Once he is home he needs to be with his family and not distracted with stuff like this. They have enough to deal with as it is. "

Vet-Patriot wrote on Sep 6, 2007 8:49 AM:

" To: "Well I'd Bet...." You are more wrong than correct in your opinion that these men and women would just want to drop their gear and go home. After being targets for about a year it is an honor to be shown apprecaited. My brother returned from an extended tour in Iraq and had a State police escort from Scott AFB all the way to Ft. Leonard Wood (MO) and were then escorted to the base gymnasium that was PACKED with screaming family members. After a 90-second speech the reunion between the returning soldiers and their families was like an amoeba dividing into two cells but in reverse! My brother's unit was not told about the escort and/or welcome home ceremony but ALL the soldiers loved their return! "

We'll be there! wrote on Sep 6, 2007 8:10 AM:

" for sure!! :) "

Patriot wrote on Sep 6, 2007 7:27 AM:

" Let's welcome home ou troops! God Bless America! "

Well I'd bet... wrote on Sep 6, 2007 6:44 AM:

" I'd bet that these fellas would just as soon get in, drop their gear, and get home. They probably wouldn't mind a parade, and would probably appreciate the show of support, but the first thing on their mind as they come into town is to get home, not sit in a parade. Schedule it a day or so after they get back. "

Umm... wrote on Sep 6, 2007 6:13 AM:

" kinda forgot the Radio Bloomington connection... nice. "
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