Tigard Parade Saturday Welcomes Oregon Soldiers Home From Afghanistan

The soldiers spent 16 months away from their families, and Salem-News.com spent two months 'in country' with these soldiers last winter.

With two military convoys halted on a narrow stretch of road near the Pakistan border, these 41st Combat Brigade Team machine gunners watch the hillside, hoping other soldiers can free their vehicles before enemy forces on the other side of the river fire on their "sitting duck" position. These soldiers are home now and Oregon has a chance to celebrate them this Saturday. All photos by: Tim King

(TIGARD, Ore.) - Oregon residents can welcome their own state's troops home Saturday with a series of events planned in Tigard. Oregon's Governor Ted Kulongoski will be on hand as well as most of soldiers that number over 900.

Oregon Guard Colonel Jim Lyman holds a newly born baby in a Kabul hospital that Oregon troops restored

The 41st Combat Brigade Team of the Oregon National Guard is returning from a 16 month deployment to Afghanistan. The soldiers successfully performed a number of missions and served as "embedded training teams" to instruct and mentor the Afghan National Army and Police with their transistion into modern warfare techniques that by all accounts are sorely needed.

In a country recently occupied by Soviet forces, Afghanistan's soldiers and officers have faced other challenges as they change a mindset that is rooted in Communist thinking.

The time these soldiers have spent away from home included four months training at Camp Shelby, Mississipi. They assisted in building local schools, bridges, wells, irrigation, health clinics and roads.

Their efforts are appreciated by all, but one particular group serving the event as Grand Marshalls brings a particular honor to this event. The Grand Marshalls are all veterans of World War Two.

Cynthia Follansbee is a medic with the Oregon Guard. Here she is seen making friends with local kids during a medical mission to treat civilian families

When they came home there were parades, though it took over half a century for a memorial to take shape. Then in Vietnam soldiers returned from a war that had lost much public support and at times they were even spit on.

Saturday is a day to restore balance to Oregon and the rest of the nation by honoring those who served. It is not a celebration of military policy or elected officials; instead it is recognition of the individual people who chose to serve their nation in a time of war.

The event is being held in Tigard, where the Brigade's Headquarters unit is located. It gets underway with a parade at 10:00 AM.

Organizers say there is an opportunity to participate in the parade, put together a welcome home booth for the military family fun center, or simply join watch the parade and tell everyone in uniform, "thanks for your service"!

The parade starts at the corner of Hwy 99 and Durham Road and continues to Tigard High and then to Cooks Park. Military members and their families will then have official welcoming ceremonies by the Governor and other public officials and a Change of Command for Brigadier General Douglas Pritt at Tigard High Stadium.

That will be followed by a welcome home celebration at Tigard Cooks Park for the military and their families.

The organizers require advance registration including name, military service branch, rank, dates of service, mailing address, telephone number, and email address. Those unable to march will have military type vehicles transporting them along the parade route.

Any military entry will be welcomed as a parade entry. Also being sought are color guards, bands, marching units, special vehicles, and youth groups including scouts and sports teams.

Welcome Home booths with give-a-ways, free activities for kids, and/or information and help for the returning Brigade members and their families will be located at Tigard's Cooks Park.

Any businesses or groups willing to show their gratitude by offering free family services or amusements for the children are encouraged to assist at Cooks Park. Local merchants are providing food and refreshments.

Donations to assist in Homecoming or military families in need can be made at any US Bank branch in Oregon to "Home Again Parade".

To participate in the parade or family fun center, register as Grand Marshall, or volunteer, contact Mark Poling, American Legion Post 158, P.O. Box 23482, Tigard, OR 97281 (503) 624-2332 or jmpoling@comcast.net.

Follow this link to Salem-News.com reporter Tim King's coverage from the war last winter, when he was embedded for two months with the 41st Brigade Combat Team in Kabul and other parts of Afghanistan. These are the same stories that were also seen on KPTV TV, Oregon's FOX 12: Tim King's Dispatches From Afghanistan