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Article published Jun 30, 2003
Thousands attend military celebration in
Columbia
The Associated Press
More
than 20,000 people turned out at Williams-Brice Stadium here to welcome home
South Carolina-based military personnel who took part in operations in
Iraq.
Gov. Mark Sanford, U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham and U.S. Rep. Joe
Wilson were among those who attended the America 2003 patriotic celebration
Sunday night.
The nearly two hours of speeches, music and pageantry was
organized by First Baptist Church of Columbia and Brookland Baptist Church of
West Columbia as the state's official "welcome home" celebration for troops
returning from Operation Iraqi Freedom.
At least 9,400 active duty,
reservists or National Guard troops were deployed from South Carolina during the
operation.
"Freedom is not free, and tonight we want to remind ourselves
of that," Sanford said.
Graham praised the military's post-Sept. 11
efforts.
"People ask me how long we're going to be in Afghanistan ... and
they ask me how long we're going to be in Iraq, and I tell them, 'As long as it
takes,'" Graham said. "And if we need to go back, we'll go back."
There
was a special tribute for former Sen. Strom Thurmond, who died Thursday.
Thurmond served in World War II.
American flags at the stadium flew at
half-staff, and a short tribute to Thurmond was shown on the stadium's giant
video screen.
"God bless Sen. Thurmond and all he's done for South
Carolina," Graham said.
As the band played "Wild Blue Yonder," the U.S.
Air Force anthem, veteran Bruce Miller stood up to be recognized.
"I was
young when I joined up in 1956, and seeing all these young people that have done
the same to protect our freedoms, well, it's something special," said Miller,
67, of Gaston.
Other highlights of the celebration included a fly over of
F-16 fighter jets from Shaw Air Force Base near Sumter, hundreds of dancers and
a fireworks display.
Thousands of Fort Jackson soldiers filled one large
section of the stadium.
Attendance was not compulsory.
"My
commander gave us the option of going or not," said Adam Jackson, 19, of
Florida, who enlisted three days after the terrorist attacks in
2001.
"I'm hoping that I'll be going to Iraq in a couple of weeks," said
Jackson. "Where the action is, is the first place I want to be. I didn't sign up
to sit on my couch."
Information from: The State