NASHVILLE – Tennessee National Guard soldiers from Shelbyville’s
Detachment 1, Co. G, 473rd Forward Support Company, will be recognized
during *Freedom Salute* ceremonies Saturday, March 31, at Cascade
High School in Wartrace.

Approximately 145 Middle Tennessee soldiers and their families will be
honored at the program, set to begin at 10:30 a.m. in the school
gymnasium, 1165 Wartrace-Bell Buckle Road in Wartrace.

The Tennessee Guardsmen were deployed for a period of 14 months, a year
of which was spent in Iraq. They left Tennessee in September, 2005, and
the last unit members returned home in November of 2006, just days
before Thanksgiving. Deploying with the Shelbyville unit were soldiers
from Lawrenceburg, Pulaski, Winchester and other Middle Tennessee
National Guard units who volunteered to go to Iraq.

Maj. Gen. Gus Hargett, Tennessee*s Adjutant General, will be on hand
to present each soldier with a beautiful cased American Flag, a
ceremonial coin, a medallion, and lapel pins to commemorate their
service to their country.

The prestigious Minuteman Statue and a framed flag mosaic will be
presented to two persons or organizations for their support of the
Middle Tennessee Guardsmen and their families during the deployment.

The public is invited and encouraged to attend all ceremonies.
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