RUMFORD – When Devon Witherell decided to join the Army Reserves nearly seven years ago, she wanted to do something for her country and to see the world.
That’s just what she has done for the past year – as part of the U.S. forces on duty in Iraq.
On Saturday morning, more than 1,000 people turned out at the Mountain Valley High School gym to thank Witherell and nearly two dozen other local soldiers for their service to their nation in that Middle East country.
Witherell, a 1999 graduate of Mountain Valley High School and the daughter of John and Martha Witherell of Peru, now lives in New Hampshire. She’s a conservationist with a degree from Unity College who works for the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Forest Service at White Mountain National Forest.
The Iraqi experience is one she won’t forget.
Hearing gunshots and sometimes being fired on, as well as shooting back, became almost the norm as she and her fellow soldiers transported goods and materials throughout the embattled country.
She cut her hair short so she’d look as much like a guy as possible. She received very few rude comments, she said.
“I’m glad I went over. We helped out families, and I think we did some good. There was a lot of camaraderie, and we learned to depend on the people we were with,” she said.
Erik Noll, a member of the 619th Transportation Company and a 1998 graduate of MVHS, is now back at work at International Paper after serving in Iraq for 15 months. The ceremony was nice, he said, but he wasn’t sure he and his fellow soldiers should have gotten so much recognition.
He’s certain U.S. troops have make a difference.
“A lot of Iraqis were very happy we were there,” he said, as he held his 8-month old daughter, Ahlia. He was on leave in August when she was born.
“Today is an answer to many, many prayers from people you know and don’t know,” Rep. Randy Hotham, R-Dixfield, told the soldiers lined up in front of the podium. “We’re very thankful for a great answer to many prayers. You have inspired us to recognize veterans of previous wars.”
Norman Voter of Rumford, a member of the 133rd Engineer Battalion, was recognized as a Purple Heart recipient by the host of Saturday’s ceremony, retired Lt. Col. Joseph Morin of Rumford.
The high school band and chorus sang and performed several patriotic songs, and a color guard from the Jay/Livermore Falls Veterans of Foreign Wars carried the flags into and out of the 90-minute ceremony. Hundreds of those at the ceremony were students, as the day was a makeup for all the snow days called this year.
The organizer of the homecoming celebration, Sheryl Briggs of Mexico, said part of the reason she wanted to put together such the event was because of the treatment her brother received when he returned from Vietnam three decades ago.
“I could never understand why soldiers were treated so badly. We can’t change what happened then, but we can say we are sorry and welcome home the soldiers now,” she said.
The returning soldiers, as well as any other reserve or active duty soldiers, or veterans, are invited to participate in the annual Memorial Day Parade in Mexico/Rumford on May 30, she said.
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