Photo By Spc. Nathan Goodall | Spc. William K. Edsall (holding the guidon, left side), a Chico, Calif., native, and...... read more read more
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OLYMPIA, Wash. – Blue skies and sunshine set the stage for the 2013 Lakefair Grand Parade, July 20. Spectators lined the streets of downtown Olympia, waiting for the show to begin.
A wide variety of participants marched in the parade, but at the front of it all was a group of soldiers with 17th Fires Brigade, singing traditional marching cadences and leading the way.
When the parade kicked off, Col. Timothy Kehoe, the 17th Fires Brigade commander, led his soldiers toward an audience that roared with excitement. The crowd whistled and cheered at the sight of the soldiers. It was the kind of reaction rock stars get when they take the stage, or professional athletes get when they step onto the field. It was a reaction that soldiers like Spc. William K. Edsall weren’t expecting.
Edsall, a Chico, Calif., native, and fire control element team leader with Headquarters and Headquarters Battery, 17th Fires Brigade, is also a member of the brigade color guard. He has been part of the color guard for almost two years and, while his team regularly performs at different events and ceremonies, they are used to more formal settings where the audience is inclined to react with a reverent silence.
The thunderous crowd at the parade was a welcome surprise, Edsall said, and he distinctly recalled seeing several children who saluted the formation and shouted, "you’re our heroes!"
“It makes you remember why we’re in the Army … at the core of it we’re here for [the American people], and for them to appreciate [our part in the parade] was really nice,” Edsall said.
Edsall’s surprise at the parade audience’s reaction is an example of why the I Corps Community Connector Program is built on appreciation instead of obligation.
The 17th Fires Brigade is joined to Olympia and Tumwater, Wash., through the Community Connector Program, which helps communities better understand the Army and gives soldiers a chance to connect with their nearby communities through volunteer opportunities and events like the Lakefair Grand Parade.
Edsall, and every soldier in the Army, is sworn by an oath to serve and protect the American people. The parade, and every community connector event, gives those soldiers a chance to connect with the American people, to help reinforce why they serve and to put a face to the communities they protect, said Kehoe.
Edsall said his teammates shared the same appreciation for the parade that he did, and it was an experience he said they will never forget.
| Date Taken: | 07.20.2013 |
| Date Posted: | 07.24.2013 20:04 |
| Story ID: | 110751 |
| Location: | OLYMPIA, WASHINGTON, US |
| Hometown: | CHICO, CALIFORNIA, US |
| Web Views: | 191 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Thunderbolt soldiers connect with community during Lakefair parade, by SPC Nathan Goodall, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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