Yankton based Guard unit returns home
YANKTON, S.D. — After spending a year training Iraqi police in Baghdad, 150 members of Charlie Battery of the National Guard’s 147th Field Artillery returned home Saturday to family, friends, a parade and a grateful community.
Several Cedar County residents were part of the detachment.
“It’s unexplainable,’’ Jason Heimes of South Yankton, said of his unit’s return.
“We’ve been gone for 15 months. Now that we’re back with our family and friends, it’s an amazing feeling. No words can explain how you feel when you’ve been gone so long,’’ he said.
After the unit was activated in June 2005, its members got a couple months of training at Fort Dix, N.J., before shipping out to Iraq.
Four soldiers from Charlie Battery were killed during the tour and two others were seriously injured.
Sgt. 1st Class Richard Schild, Staff Sgt. Daniel Cuka and Staff Sgt. Gregory Wagner were killed by improvised explosive devices.
Sgt. Allen Kokesh Jr., who was wounded in action, died later as a result of those wounds.
Sgt. Corey Briest and Spc. Brian Knigge both were wounded.
Two hundred volunteers helped stage a two-hour parade that went through the heart of Yankton and ended at the Summit Center, where a formal program was presented late Saturday afternoon.
Gov. Mike Rounds pointed out he was there some 500 days ago when Charlie Battery was activated.
“At that time I said a better use of this facility would be for a basketball game. It’s even better used for a welcome home,’’ he said.
Also at the ceremony, Maj. Gen. Michael Gorman, the National Guard’s adjutant general, talked about the casualties the unit suffered.
“All did their mission, but some did not return, and that weighs us down,’’ he said.
The ceremony included two special greetings. One was an audio message from Yankton native and former NBC News anchor Tom Brokaw.
And the other — a surprise to the troops — created an emotional moment. It was a video and audio message from Briest, who is recuperating in California.
A crew from NBC News was on hand to cover the event.