In this week of Veterans Day celebrations, it’s particularly notable that hundreds of members of the Delaware Cape Region community joined forces last weekend to show appreciation to the 100-plus soldiers of the U.S. Army Reserve’s 946th Transportation Unit.
Headquartered in Lewes, the soldiers deployed this week with all of their personal military equipment.
They’re headed to Fort McCoy in Wisconsin to help with resettlement of more than 13,000 refugees from Afghanistan, most of whom reportedly aided the United States during its many years of engagement in that war-torn nation.
The 946th soldiers took with them a pleasant taste of support, hospitality and appreciation demonstrated by a weekend’s worth of meals and a rally. These memories should help keep spirits up during a deployment away from family and friends that could last up to a year.
Organized by American Legion Post 17 in Lewes, the show of appreciation involved local restaurants, churches, service organizations and individuals displaying a refreshing sense of unity during a divisive time in our nation’s history. Based on this community’s record of coming together to support each other through tough times, the outpouring to show the soldiers that their efforts don't go unnoticed comes as no surprise. The luncheons, discounts for soldiers, and the deployment ceremony in the parking lot at St. Jude’s, along with boxes of items donated by individuals and businesses to help make the soldiers’ time away from home more comfortable, all combined to leave no doubt about the community’s support for the soldiers’ sacrifice.
Veterans Day shows our nation’s appreciation for all who have served and those who are serving now, such as those reservists helping with the resettlement mission in Wisconsin. It’s important, too, to recognize the efforts of all organizations that make every year’s Veterans Day ceremonies meaningful and enduring, as well as the hard work of American Legion Post 17 and the other groups that worked selflessly to ensure these military members received first-class treatment while in Lewes.
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Editorials are considered and written by Cape Gazette Editorial Board members, including Publisher Chris Rausch, Editor Jen Ellingsworth, News Editor Nick Roth and reporters Ron MacArthur and Chris Flood.
