The gravity of this mission did not escape the outgoing citizens of Minnesota, who were absolutely determined to send off their heroes with Minnesota gratitude.
The Meal
“What we’re trying to achieve here is that the family all comes together,” said Joe Powers, one of many leaders of Serving Our Troops. “That’s how families are built; they’re usually around the dinner table. This is our opportunity, really, to give back to the families.”
Serving Our Troops is an organization that has assembled St. Paul restaurants, businesses and volunteers five different times before this gathering Feb. 10 to enable Minnesota’s mobilized Soldiers and families to enjoy a family meal together. They have traveled to Kosovo twice and to Iraq once. For this event, however, hundreds of volunteers served a meal to more than 6,000 Soldiers and families in what was the largest single seating meal ever held in St. Paul. The organizations that teamed up to serve the troops were St. Paul City Council; Xcel Energy; Lethert, Skwira, Schultz & Co., CPA; Goff and Howard Communications; Davis Communications; Stockyard Meats; League of Minnesota Cities; Canadian Honker; Tinucci’s Restaurant; Mancinni’s Char House; Cossetta’s Italian Market and Pizzeria; O’Gara’s Bar and Grill; and Skinner’s Pub and Eatery; St. Paull Police Federation; and Local 21 St. Paul Fire Union.
Just as the sacrifice and significance of the mission did not escape Serving Our Troops, the generosity of the organization is not something that escaped the Soldiers or their families.
“I think it’s incredible that these businesses and the community are coming together,” said the father of one soldier. “Nothing says ‘I appreciate you’ like a steak dinner.”
The Legacy and the Mission
The Red Bulls are going into this mission charged with carrying on a proud legacy of commitment, sacrifice and the warrior spirit. As a reminder of the sacrifice of the Soldiers who came before them, the Soldiers and family members of the deploying unit were honored by the presence of Red Bull veterans of World War II. Don Halverson and Bill Ward also mobilized on Feb. 10, but they did it 68 years earlier when they mobilized to fight the fascism of the Nazis.
The deploying Red Bull Soldiers felt a renewed sense of pride in knowing that the Red Bull Soldiers who went before them were present in the audience and showing their support for the advancement of the legacy of the Red Bull Division.
“It’s certainly nice to carry on the tradition of the Red Bulls, and all that that stands for and all that those guys fought for,” said Chief Warrant Officer Dale A. Towle. “It makes me feel proud that I get to be one of them.”
The legacy of the those men who fought and died with the Red Bull Division in World War II has already been carried on by Red Bull Soldiers in today’s wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. The 1/34th Brigade Combat Team fought for 16 months in Iraq from 2005 to 2007, and lost more than 20 Soldiers.
In the upcoming mission, the 34th Red Bull Infantry Division will carry on that same legacy of dedication and excellence. However, the mission itself is shaping up to be different from past deployments. With the transition of power and responsibility that is occurring in the nation of Iraq, the mission itself is more complicated than just eradicating an enemy or capturing insurgents.
The Red Bull Soldiers will be in the southernmost eight provinces of Iraq, where they will be continuing to professionalize and transfer responsibility to the Iraqi Security Forces. In addition, they will be continuing to develop the nation’s civil capacity. Most importantly, however, the Soldiers will be working to establish stability, by, with, and through the Iraqi Government.
Under the Iraq War policy of the new American administration, the mission will require the Citizen-Soldiers of the Red Bull Division to work with a heightened sense of urgency in order to accomplish the mission in the permitted amount of time.
“We are up to this challenge,” said Maj. Gen. Rick Nash, commander of the 34th Red Bull Infantry Division. “Each one of our Soldiers is a volunteer. Our Soldiers possess the right combination of military training and unique civilian skills.”
More than 6,000 people assembled at the Roy Wilkins Auditorium Feb. 10 in St. Paul, Minn., to bid farewell to brave Citizen-Soldiers of the 34th Red Bull Infantry Division, who mobilized for what is shaping up to be an unprecedented deployment.
