Stadium ceremony welcomes home Ind. guardsmen

[unhappycamper]

Stadium ceremony welcomes home Ind. guardsmen
The Associated Press
Posted : Monday Feb 2, 2009 6:33:35 EST

INDIANAPOLIS — About 4,500 members of the Indiana Air and Army National Guard marched into Lucas Oil Stadium amid cheers of appreciation for their service overseas.

Several thousand people attended Saturday’s welcome-home ceremony, which included speeches from Gov. Mitch Daniels and others, a tribute to fallen and wounded soldiers and musical performances.

“Because of you and men and women like you, you have made the world a better place,” said Linton Mayor Tom Jones, representing mayors around the state. “Your communities felt pride while you were in Iraq, but couldn’t wait for your homecoming. Thank you for a job well done.”

Those honored included some 3,300 members of the Guard’s 76th Infantry Brigade, who returned last fall after a nine-month deployment to Iraq in what was the largest single deployment of Indiana Guard troops since World War II. Two members of the brigade died in Iraq in vehicle rollovers.

As those troops were preparing to leave, they were cheered during a departure ceremony last January in the RCA Dome, just months before that stadium was closed.


Rest of article at: http://airforcetimes.com/news/2009/02/ap_indiana_guardsmen_020209/%2e