Golden – More than 650 citizen soldiers in the Colorado National Guard were thanked Thursday by Gov. Bill Owens for their relief work in hurricane-stricken Louisiana and Mississippi.
Owens said the Air and Army Guard members had to “leave home, leave their jobs and leave their families” to do their duty. “What we do for others has a great deal to do with your life,” he added.
During the ceremony at the Jefferson County Fairgrounds, Adjutant General of Colorado Mason Whitney said he was proud of how Guard members showed they are “ready, reliable and relevant.”
While in the hurricane-ravaged areas, Guard members supported police efforts; went on search-and-rescue missions; cleared road debris; moved 150 damaged boats and 200 cars; assisted in the command control centers; moved 300,000 gallons of fuel to levee pumping stations; worked with first responders; and cleaned up a national cemetery.
They toiled in what Task Force Colorado commander Col. Ken Lull called “the most god-awful conditions I’ve ever seen.”
The family of Robert Jones, a member of Bravo Battery of the 157th field artillery battalion, said they were glad to have him home as he talked of missions that stunned him with nature’s power. “It was an education that gave me a different view of life,” Jones said.
Jones said he was looking forward to an uneventful weekend before he returns to work Tuesday clearing road debris for the Colorado Department of Transportation.
Staff writer Ann Schrader can be reached at 303-278-3217 or aschrader@denverpost.com.
