Iowa families celebrate return of guard units
Webster City woman among those soldiers coming homeby ANNE BLANKENSHIP, Daily Freeman Journal Managing Editor and The Associated Press
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The Iowa Army National Guard held homecoming ceremonies in five communities Wednesday to mark the return of units mobilized as part of efforts in Iraq.
The celebrations were held Wednesday in Audubon at the high school, the Johnson County 4-H Fairgrounds in Iowa City, North Iowa Fairgrounds in Mason City, at the high school in Perry and the community college in Marshalltown.
The roughly 300 returning soldiers were mobilized about a year ago from the 1133rd and 1168th Transportation Companies.
Heather Geerdes, of Webster City, was among those soldiers returning to Audubon today, according to family friends. Geerdes deployed to Iraq a year ago.
Both Geerdes and her husband Josh, who works for the Iowa Air National Guard and who served in the U.S. Navy, have been deployed previously, but this time around, someone else was in the picture. The Geerdes have a 3-year-old son, Michael.
"We've both been deployed before and we understand how it works, but this time around, we have Michael to think about," Josh Geerdes said in October of 2008.
Heather said then she felt lucky that there are ways that she would be able to stay close to her family even though she's half a world away. Advances in technology have been the answer to many soldiers' prayers.
"We'll have phone access, email and web cams. During conflicts in the past, it was not so easy to feel close to everyone at home. Being able to see Michael on the web cam will be such a relief. I won't get to snuggle with him every night, but I'll get to see him at least," she said.
Wednesday, her husband and son were on hand to welcome her home as her platoon returned to Audubon.
Contact Anne Blankenship at editor@freemanjournal.net or call 832-4350.
