Welcome home our Troops!
Invision Technical and VFW#1435 in Spokane Valley is proud to support http://www.welcomehomebravocompany.org/
We are in the process of helping the non profit Bravo Company Family Resources Group for the Washington side of the homecoming for B Company, 321stEngineers (USAR). They will be returning from Iraq in the latter part of September and WelcomeHomeBravoCompany.org will be the central point for public involvement and information in this effort.
The video styled website WelcomeHomeBravoCompany.org is in the process of being created to help implement the planning, coordinating and execution of the Washington state civilian side of the homecoming greeting for Bravo Company. It will also serve as a means of giving credit to those businesses and individuals that helped out. It will later serve as the video log of events that occur during the units arrival and afterwards as they re-enter civilian life. The plan is for them returning home from Iraq to the Inland Empire sometimes late in September of 2007. The project is being supported by Bravo Company family members, businesses and concerned members of the community - along with the help of the local VFW.
It's the group's goal to make sure that Spokane, the surrounding communities and the towns along Interstate 90 get the chance to show the returning veterans how much they are appreciated. With that in mind, the Bravo Company Family Resources Group will receive a portion of the money's collected to help Bravo Company's families meet their needs during this return to civilian life phase.
Don McCartney, one of the organizers, says "The biggest problem with having a successful parade is that the troops are going to be arriving at an unknown date and then given a "decompression" period of 5 to 9 days at Fort Lewis - the result is that there's no way that a schedule can be predicted. WelcomeHomeBravoCompany.org has taken this into account by starting off from the beginning as a website that is dedicated to getting the time out as soon as possible through its list of e mail subscribers that we call "our Internet Minutemen"".
"When we get the earliest confirmed word on the time of their arrival in Spokane then we will do a mass mailing of e mails telling everyone to meet at a certain place with signs, horns and graffiti. We don't want the troops to get off the bus or anything, just stay inside and get greeted by us. The tentative plan right now is for them to turn off the freeway and go up 3rd Ave for a few blocks of cheering and then get right back on the freeway. It wouldn't hold them up for more than a few minutes and I'll bet Spokane can give them quite a greeting. We are going to hit the business's along the freeway to Idaho to join us and put up banners."
He continues, "Designing a website and putting it to video, plus getting banners, posters and cheering crowds requires organization and money. We need the financial support of businesses and friends that will join us in developing this community homecoming project and the resulting parade to its full potential. Regardless of our feelings on the war - one way or the other - these folks deserve our appreciation."
If you would like to help and be a sponsor you can contact Scott at 509-951-4615 or Don at 509-534-3169
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