Stonewall Brigade members receive Va. service medal

Bob Stuart / The News Virginian
Published: June 9, 2008

STAUNTON — Baghdad’s presidential palace loudly echoed with rocket fire during the 10 months that Staunton’s 116th Brigade Combat Team was stationed there to provide support for Gen. David Petraeus, the U.S. commander of Operation Iraqi Freedom troops.

The constant gunfire reminded members of the local Virginia Army National Guard unit of the tenuous nature of life at war. And the impression didn’t wear off when the unit’s tour in Iraq ended in February.

Maj. Brian Hutchinson of the 116th came away deeply moved by the fate of the Iraqi people.

“The people there need help. There’s poverty,” said Hutchinson, of Lynchburg. “Being there makes you appreciate the United States. Even with our flaws, we’ve got power and water.”

Hutchinson and his fellow Stonewall Brigade members came to Staunton’s R.E. Lee High School early Sunday for a freedom salute ceremony, recognizing the 116th’s sacrifices and those of their families.

Brigade members received the Governor’s National Service Medal from Gov. Timothy Kaine. Other medallions and gifts were also presented for the soldiers and their families.

Perhaps the greatest gift came in the sincere thanks from many who spoke Sunday morning, including the unit’s commander, Col. William R. Phillips II.

Phillips ticked off a long list of the unit’s accomplishments in Iraq, including establishing a base defense center and a mass casualty team in Baghdad’s international zone.

He said the 116th also helped restore and modernize Baghdad by providing waterlines and even a soccer pitch.

“What I respect most about these Stonewall soldiers is their ability to take initiative,” Phillips said. He said the 116th demonstrated what is right about this country.

Maj. Gen. Robert Newman Jr., the adjutant general of the Virginia National Guard, said the 116th accomplished their mission after a last-minute deployment in 2007, using a three-month training period to prepare.

“In three months, you became a combat-ready brigade,” Newman said. “You guys did what active-duty soldiers do.”

To the families of the 116th, Newman said, “I know how tough it was to get the call at the last minute.”

Neva Closs, of Lynchburg, wife of Staff Sgt. Robert Closs, said she became glued to the television while her husband was deployed.

“I couldn’t stop watching the news,” she said.

Robert Closs said he still occasionally flashes back to the sound of rocket fire hitting the presidential palace.

“A sudden noise will bring you back,” he said.