BATAVIA, OHIO - Pledging to Keep Troop Support Strong

BATAVIA, OHIO - When Caryn Shay and Kim Pellington led the Pledge of Allegiance before a crowd gathered in front of the Clermont County Courthouse for the annual National Day of Prayer ceremony in Batavia on May 1, 2008, they did it in tribute to their loved ones stationed in Iraq.

“My husband is so humble that he doesn’t want any notoriety for the important job he does,” said Shay, a resident of Milford.  Her husband is Army Sergeant First Class Kevin Shay, currently stationed in Iraq.  “I am honored to have been selected to lead the pledge at the ceremonies today; we, the family and friends of those deployed, are doing our best to hold things down at home, while they are holding things down over there.”

“I am also very proud to be part of a community that remembers our military personnel with yellow ribbons, flags, and care packages,” said Pellington, a resident of Milford.  Her son, 24-year-old Army Specialist Matthew Hood, is on his second tour of duty in Iraq.  “It is a terrible feeling, as a parent, to think that your child is forgotten in a country so far away; this community makes sure these brave men and women are never forgotten.

Pellington is one of the organizers of a local military support group called “Whole in My Heart.”  She says it was launched to restore wholeness to families and friends of those who have been deployed.  She welcomes anyone interested in joining the group to call her at (513) 309-3234 for meeting dates, times, and locations.