(Le Mars) — Last year, on June 1st, 90 soldiers from the Iowa National Guard unit 113th Calvary Troop C based from the Le Mars left for a ten month deployment mission to the southern horn of the African continent. Today, (Wednesday) those soldiers are coming home. Army National Guard Major Katheryn Headley
talks about that mission.
The soldiers will arrive by plane at the Sioux City Gateway Airport at approximately 12:20 p.m. with a small welcome home ceremony scheduled to start at 12:30 p.m.
The buses carrying the National Guard soldiers are expected to leave the Sioux City airport by 1:00 p.m. heading north to Le Mars. Headley says due to the concern of the COVID-19 virus the homecoming ceremony to be held at the Sioux City Armory at the airport is not open to the general public.
The soldiers will take Highway 75 and then enter Le Mars on Business Highway 75 or Hawkeye Avenue. The buses will turn east on 12th Street Southwest near the Hy Vee grocery store and Kemp’s milk processing plant. The buses will follow 12th Street southwest past the football stadium, and then they will
turn north on Central Avenue. The buses carrying the soldiers will travel on Central Avenue heading north until Plymouth Street, or Highway 3. They will then head east on Highway 3 to the Armory Building located next to Floyd Valley Healthcare. Family members and friends can re-unite with their
soldiers at the armory building. Major Headley encourages the public to stand along the bus route to welcome home the soldiers.
KLEM radio will broadcast the homecoming ceremony from the Sioux City Armory, and it will be featured live on the KLEM Facebook page.
(photos are from last year’s deployment)
