National Guard

20 June, 2006

I had the honor of attending the awards ceremony held at the Grangeville Armory on June 15th. The purpose of this ceremony was to present various awards to our local National Guardsmen returned from federal duty in Iraq. And a fine looking group of soldiers they are, young men of whom we can all be very proud, as is I’m sure their commander Captain McDonald, and First Sergeant Von Bargen.

I also had an opportunity to talk with Maj. Gen. Lafrenz, Commanding General of the Idaho National Guard, for a few moments after the ceremony. The General stressed the continuing need for community support of the National Guard, a point with which I thoroughly agree. For decades this community has been a strong supporter of the Guard, as well as the regular armed forces. I’ve never ceased to be amazed by the sheer number of military veterans living in our relatively small community. Some served in wartime, some in peacetime, and many are veterans of those nasty little incidents that you hardly ever hear of. And a large number of those veterans were guardsmen.

Be proud of your National Guard unit, it has a long and distinguished history. They’ve been Infantry, Artillery, Engineer, and Support units through the years. Originally, as the hurriedly organized Grangeville Militia, they served in the Nez Perce Indian War. Later they answered the call to duty, serving in Cuba during the Spanish American War. They were in Mexico under General Pershing, pursuing Pancho Villa, and shortly thereafter found themselves in France during WW I. For WW II they were called up and served under Gen. Douglas McArthur, in, among other places, the hell hole of New Guinea. They were called to federal duty during the Korean War. The North Idaho Battalion of which Grangeville is a part, went to Vietnam, one of only two National Guard battalions in the nation to do so. They missed Desert Storm, but only barely. And now they add Iraq to their military honors. The faces change, but the unit continues on. They’ve left their blood, sweat, and tears, on many a field.

Between wars they stay busy with intensive military training, yet they still find time to respond to the many natural disasters that befall a state such as ours, lending a helping hand during forest fires, floods, storms, earthquakes… nearly thirty years ago they were out in force, helping with the clean-up after Mt. St. Helens rather spectacularly blew its top. Recently, while many Grangeville Guardsmen were serving in Iraq, others were serving in the southern states, assisting in the hurricane Katrina recovery. Much like volunteer firemen, the guardsmen are rarely seen, but they are always there when needed.

And yet there’s even more. The “Grangeville Boys” built much of the Fish Creek campground and recreational area a few years back. They helped build ball diamonds in Orofino, rebuilt Pine Street in Grangeville, and have done more projects for the Forest Service than I can count. Yet these young people still manage to find the time to attend school, hold down regular jobs, raise families, and to be upstanding members of our community. They are among our best, and are an excellent role model for our younger generations.

I count many friends among our Guardsmen, and during the time the Brigade was in Iraq, I dreaded opening the paper each morning for fear of what I might find. The fact that there was no large casualty list of Idaho soldiers reflects favorably on their readiness, the training they received, and in particular the skill and preparedness of each and every one of them.

You might have noticed that I used the term “your” National Guard. For yours they are. They’re your relatives, your neighbors, and your friends and acquaintances. Take the time to thank these men and women, for their dedication to our community, our state, and our nation. Thank them all, for they are the ones who stand between you, and the monsters in the dark.

Well done troops, and welcome home.