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Group spreads cheer to soldiers

Jan-15-2006 » Filed Under: 172nd SBCT

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The Walton Tribune

WALTON COUNTY — Some soldiers in Iraq had their own Santa Claus for the Christmas holidays.

Jackie Cash, Patsy Thomas and Wanda Griffioen, who are charter members of Southern Belles, a non-profit organization with people whose roots are firmly in the South either by birth or by choice, asked businesses for donations to help send Santa to Iraq.

The group campaigned local businesses within Walton County to help with their endeavor of adopting 160 soldiers for Christmas.

“The adoptees are stationed out of Fort Wainwright, Alaska, but of course are originally from all over the U.S.,” Southern Belle Shelia Scarbrough said. “They are from the 172nd Stryker Brigade, U.S. Army.”

Scarbrough said Fort Wainwright deployed 3,800 soldiers in August to Iraq. This was the largest number deployed from that base since the Vietnam war. The soldiers are expected to return in August.

“This particular company was chosen because one of the soldiers has deep roots in Walton County, making him one of our local boys,” Scarbrough said. “1st Lt. Joe Scarbrough is the great-grandson of Homer and Emma Lou Parham and Howard and Laura Moss, grandson of Gene Cole and Peggy Jackson Cole, grandson of James and Alice Scarbrough, grandson of Roy Moss and son of James Scarbrough and Shelia Moss Scarbrough. This young soldier is lucky enough to count generations of Walton County residents as relatives.” [...]


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