April 13, 2011

Thank you for the story and photographs of the engineering battalion shipping out yesterday. Our son, Capt. Gary Ward was one of the soldiers featured in a photograph. He is our pride and joy and looks much larger in that uniform standing in front of his company!

He has praised the Brownwood community so often over this past year as he has been commuting to and from Ft. Worth to train there. As parents, as Americans, please pass the word to the community as to how much we thank you all.

The photographs of the folks standing along the highway with our flag displayed touched my heart.  Yesterday, Gary’s departure date was a special day for me; it marked my 41st anniversary of returning from my 2nd tour in Viet Nam. There were no parades for us, and very few flags were flown in support of our nation’s soldiers.

We communicate with our soldier by texting and Skype these days, but it does not replace the warmth of shaking their hands or having them in the room with us. We all pray for their safe return and, as we pray, we are thankful for the good citizens of Brownwood, Texas for their support of all our soldiers.

 

Eddie W. Carroll

Hurst, TX