Guardsmen ship out

After a short ceremony and lots of tearful goodbyes, about 50 soldiers left Friday morning from the Missouri National Guard Armory in Cape Girardeau for training that will eventually take them to Iraq.

The soldiers, mostly from the 1140th Engineer Battalion, will join the 110th Engineer Battalion in Kansas City before traveling to Fort Riley, Kan., to complete their training. They could be sent to Iraq anytime within the next one to three months. They will remain there for about a year.

Closer to 80 soldiers from Southeast Missouri have been called up, but some had leave to travel to Kansas City with their families, said 1st Lt. Richard Tipton, a National Guard spokesman in Cape Girardeau. For security reasons, Tipton would not give the exact number of soldiers leaving for Iraq or their specific time of deployment.

Staff Sgt. Craig Jacobson of Jackson found out he was being deployed about a month and a half ago. On Friday, he had mixed feelings about leaving.

"I'm a little sad, but I'm ready to go do it," said Jacobson while hugging his 9-year-old daughter, Meagan.

Jacobson and his wife also have a 3-year-old daughter. He has been in the National Guard since 1989. This is his first trip to Iraq

Kelly Yates of Perryville, Mo., said it will be difficult at home now without her husband, Spc. Thomas Yates. They have four children, between the ages of 6 and 11. As the National Guard caravan of eight Humvees and a bus pulled out Friday morning, some of the Yates children waved tiny American flags.

"Even though I'm sad now, I'm more proud of him now than ever before," Kelly Yates said.

The Yates' oldest, 11-year-old Michael, said he's also proud of his father, although he'll miss him a lot. Kelly Yates said the family plans to travel to Kansas City to say goodbye again. The 110th will have an official send-off ceremony Friday at Kauffman Stadium, where the Royals baseball team plays.

Pfc. Arthur Rulo, a 21-year-old from Potosi, Mo., was having difficulty saying goodbye to his wife.

He said he "didn't volunteer" to go to Iraq. Rulo, who leaves behind his wife and 2 1/2-month-old daughter, said he never really expected to be sent overseas.

"I was just bored and wanted something to do," Rulo said, explaining why he signed up for the National Guard. "I wanted a challenge because everything was too easy."

Master Sgt. Jerry Hammonds of Cape Girardeau said he'll miss his family but they're all being "brave." But even though he also served in Vietnam, leaving doesn't get much easier over time.

"I'm feeling OK, because I'm going to do my duty," Hammonds said, trying to keep from crying while he hugged his wife and grandson. "That's why I wear the uniform. I'm going to fulfill the mission that I was trained to perform."

Hammonds' wife, Minnie, said it's hard to see him go, but he's got his family's support.

"Part of me is leaving with him, but we're going to be OK," she said. "By the grace of God, I know that. And he will come back."

Most of the soldiers deployed Friday were with the 1140th Engineer Battalion, which returned in March after a year of active duty Iraq. About eight of the soldiers from the 1140th who already have served in Iraq signed up to do a second tour, according to information released by the Unit Public Affairs Representative.

wmcferron@semissourian.com

335-6611, extension 127