<< Back 10/9/02 Returning soldiers a reminder of what is valuable SMN The National Guard soldiers were welcomed home as heroes last week in Clyde. With flags waving and speech making, family members, officials and patriotic citizens gave members of the 211th Military Police Company what every soldier deserves — a collective thanks for putting their lives on the line. The job they did in Afghanistan was a dangerous one. Many of us remember that it was a prison uprising of Al Qaeda detainees after the interrogation of traitor John Philip Walker Lindh that led to the death of a CIA agent. These soldiers from Western North Carolina were guarding the same type prisoners. As they returned home last week, several media sources reported that the soldiers did not expect the warm reception that awaited them. “It swells me with pride,” said Lt. Col. Diana Butler. And while the troops were overseas residents of this region treated them as best they could. Several soldiers reported that the cards and packages sent by school children were especially heartwarming. That should keep teachers warm to the task of taking on class projects like this. The Clyde-based National Guard unit reported for duty in January for what could have been a two-year assignment. They spent time guarding prisoners in Afghanistan before returning to Ft. Bragg in September. All the while, they were uprooted from their families, their homes and their jobs. Perhaps most gratifying in the welcome given these returning soldiers are the lessons learned by American citizens who stay home. Some are old enough to remember the sorry way soldiers returning from Vietnam were treated. At that confusing time in this nation’s history, anti-war protesters could not differentiate between hating a war and the politics that cause it while still respecting those who put their lives on the line for their right to protest. Today, citizens recognize the mistakes of that era, and we collectively support our soldiers for what they do regardless of what our political beliefs may be. That is as it should be, and the 211th’s welcome was a reassuring symbol of national unity.