Soldiers welcomed to town                                                                                Story by Spc. William E. Henry, Indiana National Guard                                                  Posted June 12, 2008

BICKNELL, Ind.— Guardsmen were invited to have a well-deserved dinner in town June 10 after a long day of hard physical labor at the Edwardsport Duke Energy power plant.

The Pilgrim Holiness Church’s Jennie Mae Center opened its doors to Soldiers to give them a break and to thank them for all they’ve done.

As Indiana National Guardsmen drove through the small town of Bicknell, citizens greeted them with waves and smiles.

Some honked their horns at the convoy of troops; some cheered; and people even came onto the streets, just to watch them drive by.

The spirit of the crowd seemed to be on what the Guardsmen had been a part of. Guardsmen were doing simply what most join to do, serve their communities across the state and more importantly, their country as a whole.

Gene Lawson a volunteer cook at the center said it’s what he and others at the church could do to repay them for their tireless efforts.

“It’s a real joy,” said Lawson. “I’m a vet myself. Everywhere I go, the Guard’s there, and that’s a pretty comforting feeling.”

Pastor Maurice Roll said he was honored to have them over for dinner.

“When the community needs help, we try to pitch together and just reach out and help one another,” said Roll. “We appreciate so much the people that have come in to help us in our area here. It’s such an honor to have the opportunity to tell them how much we appreciate them.

In the last week as tornadoes ripped through communities and water has pushed river levels up across the state, Soldiers and Airmen of the Indiana National Guard have been more than willing to do what’s necessary to protect the citizens.

“We just wanted to say thank you and let them all know how much they mean to us,” Roll added.