400 WV GUARDSMEN RETURNING FROM IRAQ

(02/25/2005)
More than 400 members of the West Virginia National Guard are coming home after serving a year in Iraq.

About 175 members of the First Battalion, 201st Field Artillery are scheduled to return today. Another 110 members of the 201st are to arrive in West Virginia on Sunday.

The soldiers will be taken by bus to homecoming celebrations at their local armories.

The 201st is based in Fairmont and has batteries in Hinton, Ronceverte, Morgantown, Elkins, and at Camp Dawson in Kingwood.

About 150 members of the 364th Maintenance Company, based in Point Pleasant and Eleanor, are scheduled to return on Monday, including at least one Calhoun boy, Kenneth Starcher. A homecoming celebration will be held at Yeager Airport in Charleston.