Area soldiers from Det. 1 Charlie Company 2-112th Infantry (SBCT) are preparing for what is expected to be the last deployment from the Tyrone Armory.
The Armory closing date has not yet been established, so the soldiers are expected to return home to the Armory in Tyrone.
The move to State College won’t happen until the Armory there is ready, which is expected to be not too long after the soldiers return home.
On Thursday, September 25 the local National Guard troops will be deployed for training and then to the Middle East.
A special “sending off” on Wednesday, September 24 is in the works, which will be a great opportunity for the entire community to honor the soldiers of the National Guard.
Everyone in town is preparing for Wednesday, and by the sounds of it, the streets will be lined with people for the parade, and the bleachers will be filled at the football field for the ceremony.
At noon, a parade is planned to start at the Tyrone Armory and conclude at Gray-Veterans Field. Once at the field, a short ceremony will take place.
The 69 soldiers from Det. 1 Charlie Company 2-112th Infantry (SBCT) will be marching in the parade and participating in the ceremony.
The soldiers will depart from the Tyrone Armory at noon and travel down Tenth Street, onto Pennsylvania Avenue, onto 14th Street and 15th Street, then onto Hamilton Avenue and end at Gray-Veterans Field.
The Tyrone Area Chamber of Commerce has asked all area businesses to close from noon to 12:30 p.m. on Wednesday so that everyone has a chance to watch the parade proceed through town.
Once at the field, there will be a ceremony to honor the soldiers.
Parade and ceremony organizers are asking all area veterans to join in for the ceremony at Gray-Veterans Field.
Veterans are asked to gather at the entrance to Gray Field off of Hamilton Avenue at noon, and someone will be there to direct them of what to do. The idea is for the veterans to form a column for the soldiers to walk through before entering onto the field.
Spectators attending the service at Gray-Veterans Field are asked to sit on the visitors side.
This day will truly go down in local history, so everyone in the community is strongly encouraged to show their support, either by watching the parade or by attending the ceremony at the field.
The soldiers from the area include: 2LT Joshua Cutchall, SPC Jacob Houck, SSG Christopher McGee, SPC James Hoffman, SPC Daniel Waite, PV2 James Seigman, SGT William Beere, SPC Christopher Hawn, SSG Wayne Smith, SGT Gunner Richards, SPC Michael Heffner, SPC Brian Dillen, PV1 Shawn Flanagan, SFC Michael Chirdon, SPC Aaron Carrico, SPC Richard Neumann, SSG Jon J. Gibbons, SPC Christopher Strunk and SPC Blake Hinson.
Also, SGT Christopher Irvin, SPC Lance McGee, SPC Nevin Wilt, PFC Christopher Gray, SPC Daniel Hoffman, SSG Charles MacGregor, SGT Michael Aurand, SPC Michael Friendenberger, PFC Matthew Peck, SGT Michael Ortiz, SPC Joseph Price, SSG James Larson, SGT Michael Kissell, SPC Bret Harris, SPC Trevor Harbst, 2LT Douglas Dietrich, SPC David Thompson, SGT Rudolph Vorndran, SFC Andrew Hardy, SPC Bruce French, SGT Matthew Gibbons, SGT Curtis Houck, SSG Douglas Kuhn, SPC Charles Claypool and 1SG Michael Swartz.
