Welcome Home Heroes Parade in El Paso 2/27/2008

Parade marks return of Fort Bliss units from Iraq
By Chris Roberts / El Paso Times
Article Launched: 02/25/2008 12:00:00 AM MST


When Mayor John Cook returned from the Vietnam War in early 1970, one of the protesters who greeted his bus pelted him with an egg.

"I just wanted to do a better job," Cook said, explaining why he decided to welcome Fort Bliss soldiers home from overseas with a parade. "The entire El Paso community has really stepped up to the plate and people have said that the (4th Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division) is symbolic of all the soldiers that have served."

On Wednesday, when thousands of 4-1 Cavalry soldiers march through El Paso's streets during the Welcome Home Heroes Parade, they will be accompanied by 31 riderless horses -- empty boots backward in the stirrups -- representing cavalry soldiers who lost their lives in Iraq. The horses are being provided by the El Paso County Sheriff's Posse, Cook said.

Also being honored are the air defenders of the 3rd Battalion, 43rd Air Defense Artillery, 11th ADA Brigade, who also returned recently from the Middle East.

Most of the cavalry brigade was operating in Iraq's northwestern Nineveh Province. However, some of the soldiers also served in Baghdad. They left in late 2006 and, after 14 months, the last soldiers returned the day before Christmas. Some 150 wounded soldiers in the Fort Bliss Warrior Transition Unit also will participate in the parade.

The 3-43 ADA soldiers recently completed the longest tour of duty for a Patriot missile unit in the Army's history. Some of the air defenders spent 17 months in the Middle East, including the countries of Kuwait and Qatar. The 3-43 ADA soldiers suffered no loss of life or serious injuries.
Details of the 3-43 ADA's mission have not been available due to the sensitivity of that information, but Patriot batteries generally protect ground assets that include troop concentrations, headquarters, motor pools and ammunition depots. Their deployment was moved up to coincide with President Bush's surge of troops into Baghdad.

About 4,000 soldiers will participate in the parade.

Col. Stephen M. Twitty, 4-1 Cavalry commander and Command Sgt. Maj. Stephan Frennier will lead the cavalry soldiers. The unit's individual battalions will be represented. They are:


1st Squadron, 9th Cavalry Regiment, commanded by Lt Col. Keitron A. Todd with Command Sgt. Maj. Alex Santos. The unit was responsible for training Iraqi army and police officers in Mosul and Tal'Afar.

2nd Battalion, 7th Cavalry Regiment, commanded by Lt. Col. Eric Welsh with Command Sgt. Maj. James D. Pippin. The unit conducted combat missions in Mosul and was the only battalion in the area of nearly 2 million residents maintaining security and stability.

2nd Battalion, 12th Cavalry Regiment, commanded by Lt. Col. James D. Nicholas with Command Sgt. Maj. Charlie L. Payne. The unit was in Baghdad the entire 14 months conducting missions that ranged from combat to humanitarian.

5th Battalion, 82nd Field Artillery Regiment, commanded by Lt. Col. Robert F. McLaughlin with Command Sgt. Maj. Antonio A. Murguia. The unit was responsible for clearing the upper Za'ab Triangle of insurgents who had moved out of Baghdad and Al Anbar looking for safe haven and establishing Iraqi security forces in the area.

27th Brigade Support Battalion, commanded by Lt. Col. David O. Whitaker with Command Sgt. Maj. David L. Null. The unit provided equipment, supplies and even engineering expertise to the rest of the deployed 4-1 Cavalry soldiers. Although it was stationed in Mosul, the unit's soldiers went wherever they were needed.

4th Special Troops Battalion, commanded by Lt. Col. Jay A. Hedstrom with Command Sgt. Maj. Ronald Cook. The unit collected and disseminated intelligence using ground and aerial technology. It also conducted convoy escort missions and was in charge of the brigade's military police.
Officials with the El Paso Independent School District said Friday that buses have been set aside to send students to the parade. The Ysleta and Socorro school districts also have plans to allow students to attend the parade.

Cook said he hopes the soldiers understand that El Paso residents recognize the sacrifices they have made for their country.

4-1 Cavalry's fallen
4th Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division soldiers who lost their lives serving in Iraq.

Capt. Timothy I. McGovern, 2-7 Cavalry.

2nd Lt. Mark J. Daily, 2-7 Cavalry.

Sgt. 1st Class Russell P. Borea, 2-7 Cavalry.

Staff Sgt. John E. Cooper, 2-7 Cavalry.

Staff Sgt. Eric D. Cottrell, 5-82 Field Artillery.

Sgt. John Allen, 2-12 Cavalry.

Sgt. Ian C. Anderson, 2-7 Cavalry.

Sgt. William Bushnell, 2-12 Cavalry.

Sgt. Brent W. Dunkleberger, 2-7 Cavalry.

Sgt. Ed Santini, 2-12 Cavalry.

Sgt. Robert Thrasher, 2-12 Cavalry.

Sgt. Lee C. Wilson, 1-9 Cavalry.

Cpl. Benjamin Bartlett Jr., 2-7 Cavalry.

Cpl. Nicholas P. Brown, 2-7 Cavalry.

Cpl. Jeremiah D. Costello, 5-82 Field Artillery.

Cpl. Matthew J. Emerson, 2-7 Cavalry.

Cpl. Matthew T. Grimm, 2-7 Cavalry.

Cpl. Jason J. Hernandez, 1-9 Cavalry.

Cpl. Thomas L. Hilbert, 1-9 Cavalry.

Cpl. Juan Lopez, 5-82 Field Artillery.

Cpl. Keith V. Nepsa, 5-82 Field Artillery.

Cpl. Paulo Pacificador, 5-82 Field Artillery.

Cpl. Jonathan Rossi, 2-12 Cavalry.

Cpl. Brandon W. Smitherman, 2-7 Cavalry.

Cpl. Raymond Spencer, 2-12 Cavalry.

Cpl. Jeremy Stacey, 2-12 Cavalry.

Spc. Joseph P. Kenny, 27th Brigade Support Battalion.

Spc. Jason B. Koutroubas, 4th Brigade Special Troops Battalion.

Spc. Brandon Thorson, 2-12 Cavalry.

Pfc. William N. Davis, 2-12 Cavalry.

Pfc. John F. Landry Jr., 2-12 Cavalry.


Street closures
Welcome Home Heroes Parade street closures

Interstate 10 westbound Mesa Street exit, 11 a.m. to noon.

Yandell, right-lane closed between Newman and Lee Street, 9:30 a.m. to noon.

Montana, between Lee Street and Stanton, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Stanton, between Montana and Mills, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Mills and El Paso, between Mesa and San Antonio, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.

San Antonio, between El Paso and Durango, including the access road behind Convention Center and San Francisco, 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.

El Paso, between Paisano and San Antonio, 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.

Santa Fe, between Overland and Wyoming, 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.



In school

EPISD: Will give school buses to every high school and middle school to send up to 45 students to the parade. Students will be selected based on grades and behavior records. Some elementary schools will be allowed, but mostly will stay in school to prepare for the TAKS.

YISD: Will give students a half-day to attend the parade.

SISD: Will allow children of active-duty military personnel to attend the parade. Parents must inform their child's school by today that they want their child to leave school early for the parade.