End of an era: Locals attend Reserve Center closing as 322nd Engineer Company makes move to Nevada
Members of the 322nd Engineer Company based in Decorah stand at attention while officers case their Company flag in preparation for the unit's move to Sloane, NV and the closing of the Army Reserve Center in Decorah. The "Casing of the Colors" is an important aspect of a Company's move. Photo by Lissa Blake.
SPC Michael Roth, Jr. (right), a 2011 Waukon High School graduate, along with his fiancée Jordyn Enyart, who is holding their daughter, Gabriella Roth, attended the June 4 closing ceremony of the PFC Lloyd C. Wohlford, Jr. Army Reserve Center in Decorah. Roth was stationed at the Center with the 322nd Engineering Company that is now moving to Sloane, NV and says he is "sad to see it closing." Photo by Lissa Blake.
Gabe Feuerhelm (far right), a 1996 graduate of Waukon High School, is pictured with his parents, Ross and Regina Feuerhelm of Decorah, and his daughter, Chloe (far left), a 2015 MFL/MarMac graduate who was leaving for the Air Force last week. The family attended the June 4 closing ceremony of the PFC Lloyd C. Wohlford, Jr. Army Reserve Center in Decorah, where Gabe Feuerhelm served out of with the 322nd Engineering Company that is now moving to Sloane, NV. Photo by Lissa Blake.
Christine Bolson (left) of Lansing and her sister, Margaret Walter (right) of Decorah, attended the June 4 closing ceremony for the PFC Lloyd C. Wohlford, Jr. United States Army Reserve Center, which is named for their younger brother. PFC Wohlford was the first Winneshiek County fatality during the Vietnam conflict. Photo by Lissa Blake.
by Lissa Blake
It was with mixed emotions many area residents bid farewell to the 322nd Engineer Company Sunday morning, June 4.
Over 100 people attended a special ceremony marking the closing of the PFC Lloyd C. Wohlford, Jr. United States Army Reserve Center in Decorah, which is closing due to the fact the Company is relocating to Sloan, NV located near Las Vegas. The unit received its orders earlier this year; the majority of Company members have been reassigned to new units, according to Commander Captain Douglas O’ Brien of Darlington, WI.
Soldiers assigned to the 322nd Engineer Company had the options of transferring to another unit in the area, changing their military occupation in order to transfer to a unit that may be closer, or transferring to the Individual Ready Reserve (IRR).
SPC Michael Roth, Jr., a Waukon High School 2011 graduate who served three years of active duty in Germany and Decorah, said he is sad to see the Reserve Center closing. “They had a lot of good people. It was a really friendly place. Everyone was always really welcoming,” said Roth before the ceremony Sunday morning.
FAMILY NAMESAKE
The closing of the Reserve Center also was difficult for Christine Bolson of Lansing, who attended the ceremony with her sister, Margaret, of Decorah. The PFC Lloyd C. Wohlford, Jr. United States Army Reserve Center was named for Bolson’s younger brother, who was the first Army fatality from Winneshiek County during the Vietnam conflict.
Bolson said it was a day of mixed emotions. “It has always been an honor. And everyone was always so warm toward our family,” said Bolson. She said the day was a “mixed blessing” as it was her mother’s 90th birthday.
LIKE A FAMILY
Many Army Reservists, past and present, attended Sunday’s open house with their families prior to the ceremony, which included the “Casing of the colors,” a traditional flag ceremony that symbolizes the movement of a unit.
MAJ Troy King of Des Moines, past commander of the unit, said, “I take tremendous pride in this unit and the support we’ve received. Decorah and the Company will hold a special place in my heart forever."
SGT Timothy Wise of Ankeny said he has been coming to Decorah once a month for almost nine years. “It sucks that they’re shutting down this unit... the community loved the fact we were here and we did a lot for this community. I feel like they’re separating our family,” said Wise, who has been reassigned to Cedar Rapids.
Decorah Mayor Don Arendt thanked the unit for all it has done for northeast Iowa. “This unit touched many people with the work it has done in both Allamakee and Winneshiek counties, from trout stream projects to picnic shelters,” he said.
RECENT DEPLOYMENTS
The Reservists’ last deployment was from 2011-2012 to Afghanistan; in 2002 it was deployed to Iraq. Forty members of the 322nd recently returned from missions in Kuwait while being deployed with one of the unit’s sister companies.
About 50 soldiers, mainly from the surrounding area, train at the Reserve Center, typically once a month. The 322nd Engineer Company is the only unit located at the PFC Lloyd C. Wohlford, Jr. Decorah Army Reserve Center.
EASIER RECRUITING
One of the reasons the unit is moving is for easier recruitment of soldiers. “The move to the Las Vegas area will provide a more robust population providing the needed personnel. Also, unit readiness is a high priority in today's Army,” Staff Sergeant Jason Proseus, public affairs non-commissioned officer for the 416th Theater Engineer Command in Darian, IL, said earlier this year when the move of the 322nd Engineer Company was initially announced.
A LEGACY
During the flag ceremony, CSM Major Maxwell said, “Even though the flag will move, we’ll still have those memories. The flag and building are just symbols. The people and the community are the legacy.”
