Photo By Staff Sgt. Tegan Kucera | Sgt. Shawn Bradley shakes hands with Greentree Assisted Living Center resident and...... read more read more
CAMP ATTERBURY, Ind., - Flag Day is a time for the American people to honor the symbol of their country, and who better to present that symbol than American Soldiers?
Recently, residents of the Greentree Assisted Living Center in Columbus, Ind., were paid a visit by Soldiers serving at Camp Atterbury. Soldiers from the 205th Infantry Brigade were at the facility displaying their colors with a color guard to the residents, many of whom are veterans and the family members of veterans. The colors are flags that show the history of a unit and at the forefront is the American flag. The Soldiers who are a part of the color guard take pride in what they do; Sgt. Shawn Bradley felt even more pride on June 14.
"It's always an honor to do it," said Bradley. "Today made it special because it was Flag Day and there were veterans and even one prisoner of war. Any time you can give back to someone that gave so much is highly respectable."
Bradley, a supply Sgt. with the 3-411th Training Support Battalion a part of the 205th, said he has a great deal of admiration for veterans who served in the past wars because the ways of war have changed so much over the years. Attending the event was one POW from World War II and five other veterans of the same war. Former 1st Lt. Lansing Anthony of the U.S. Marine Corps was one.
"It's a privilege to have been a serviceman of the United States of America," said Anthony who is a resident of Greentree along with his wife.
Anthony said he joined the service because the country was at war and stayed in for the duration of it. He is proud of what he has gone through and Flag Day is important to him because of that. Seeing the Soldiers of today displaying the colors was nice for him to see.
"I think it's a great display because people need to see more of the Army," said Anthony. "They're my protectors and they protect everything that I love."
Anthony is not the only one at Greentree who would like to see more of the Army; Opal Fox Hurst feels the same way.
"This is a wonderful display," said Fox Hurst. "I think there should be more like it, to let people know what Soldiers are doing and what they stand for."
Fox Hurst is the widow of a Soldier and a sister to one of the first Soldiers to train at Camp Atterbury when it first opened as a training camp during World War II. She said he was one of the first to have been drafted from their county in Ohio, and that he came here to train.
"We went there to pick him up during his pass," said Fox Hurst. "I liked it I was just a kid, but it was pretty wonderful to me."
Almost 70 years later Camp Atterbury is still training Soldiers, Sailors, Marines and Airmen for a new war and the 205th is making it happen. Helping is Bradley. who takes time away from his normal duty to also show the unit's colors because he believes in what the unit stands for.
"The mission is great," said Bradley. "With all the mobilizing and training of Soldiers I think that is the best because we're teaching somebody before they go overseas. Knowledge is great and the more that you know the more that you can be better prepared for any situation."
| Date Taken: | 07.09.2009 |
| Date Posted: | 07.09.2009 16:12 |
| Story ID: | 36176 |
| Location: | CAMP ATTERBURY, INDIANA, US |
| Web Views: | 196 |
| Downloads: | 177 |
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