Sunday will be a special day for National Guard members in and around Bladen County who returned from a tour of duty in Iraq earlier this year.

The National Guard headquarters in Raleigh is sponsoring a Freedom Salute Awards Ceremony on Sunday, August 21, at Bladen Community College to honor their troops from the 196th CAV unit, located in Elizabethtown, Roseboro and Fair Bluff. The ceremony will recognize and thank the soldiers for their service in Iraq last year.

Marcie Smith, who has helped organize the event locally, said the event gives Bladen residents "a wonderful opportunity to show their support for their troops."

"Please come out and show our soldier how much we appreciate them and how proud we are of them," said Smith.

Smith said that NCNG headquarters in Raleigh is giving an awards ceremony for all the units that deployed to Iraq in 2004.

"We (the families of National Guard members along with the National Guard headquarters) decided to make the event something that the public could attend and express their appreciation to the troops for their service to our country," said Smith.

Some veteran and civic organizations around the county helped sponsor the event, which will include entertainment and the awards ceremony. They also contributed funds to provide a private homecoming picnic and celebration for the troops and their families.

Among the organizations that contributed were the Elizabethtown Veterans of Foreign Wars Post, the Elizabethtown - White Lake Chamber of Commerce, the Shriners Club, and Masonic Lodge 646 AF & AM.

The local National Guard members also wanted an opportunity to express their appreciation to the various individuals and organizations around the county who helped collect items to be disbursed to the troops who were serving in Iraq, Smith said.

For example, a drive organized by the Bladen County Commissioners sent "care packages" to all the members in the local troop. Those packages included a variety of items useful to the members serving in Iraq.

Houston's Peanuts also sent packages of peanuts to the troops almost every month, said Smith. Other organizations and individuals around the county also responded and sent items to the troops.

"There were so many who donated to the various projects-too many to mention individually-and we're especially grateful to each of them," said Smith. "The National Guard members were so appreciative of the support they received from 'back home' and look forward to this opportunity to express their appreciation."

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