By Susanna Avery Reporter
News Three On Your Side
One hundred and twenty thousand soldiers, family members and contractors call Fort Benning home. Saturday, they were all saluted during the annual God Bless Fort Benning day in Uptown Columbus. It was a chance for the community to say thank you to the new and seasoned soldiers. It was also a day where rank didn't exist.News Three On Your Side
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Stumble It!On that day, Broadway was camouflaged.
“It's a chance to get out. I really didn't mind getting out at all,” said Private Casey Lawrence.
Forty nine hundred soldiers walked the streets. They salute, and got saluted. “We love you and support you and we're behind you,” said Yolunda Giles.
“This is a great opportunity for soldiers to see just what kind of support is truly out there. They hear the negativism sometimes, but this is a physical form where they can see how this community views them,” said Fort Benning’s Chief of Staff, Colonel David Ling.
Support came in all forms, from hugs, to priceless phone calls. “I haven't talked to them in 3 weeks,” said Private Lawrence, of his parents. Verizon and T-Mobile donated free phone calls to the basic trainees, allowing them to call anywhere in the world, for as long as they want.
That’s much different than the rare phone call these soldiers get to make during basic training. “It's chaotic, crazy, nothing but a bunch of guys telling you to hurry. Hurry up. Five minutes, and you've got someone on a bullhorn,” Private Lawrence said.
The first God Bless Fort Benning day was held 6 years ago to celebrate the soldiers, after the tragedy on 9/11. Two hundred and fifty people filled the parking lot of the Civic Center, much less than the 20 thousand who came out Saturday.
“There's no city like this. I've been to 17 different posts and camps and stations. There is nothing like God Bless Fort Benning Day,” said Colonel Ling.
More than 5 thousand Fort Benning soldiers are currently deployed, fighting the war on terror. They are expected to come back home in June of next year.
