Video: Houston Honors 288th Sapper Company

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HOUSTON, Miss. (WCBI)- Members of the 288th Sapper Company marched into Houston High School’s auditorium greeted by lawmakers and loving family members. The city held a welcome home and veterans road dedication ceremony in honor of their service Sunday.

“Our mission was to keep the roads clear of IED’s and for some of the guys it was really stressful and I would say beyond the daily problems that we had the stress was probably one of the biggest factors,” says Lt. Alex Armstong.

It was especially stressful for Lieutenant Alex Armstrong and his wife misty.

“We got married September 17th and he left 2 weeks later to go to Afghanistan. So we were married a total of 2 weeks before he actually left so it was hard. You know, it was really hard,” says Misty Armstong.

“Being away from home, it wouldn’t have really mattered what you were doing, being away from home is tough,” says Lt. Alex Armstrong.

On top of being thousands of miles away, the fear and sleepless nights didn’t make it any easier.

“I remember particularly my birthday. It was May 4th and he was gone and I didn’t sleep at all. I called him and it was like 2 in the morning and he was like ‘what’s’ wrong?’ I said to him ‘I just miss you so much, it’s terrible!’ and he just said i’m coming home soon. And i just had to hold on strong to that fact,” says Misty Armstrong.

It’s a fact she particularly had to hold on too..when everyone else was reunited with their loved ones.

“He actually had to stay longer than the rest of the unit. He had to help bring back some of the equipment so the unit was home a month before he got home. I remember watching the news as the unite got home and I just cried. I saw the wives hugging their husbands and loving on them and I was like mine is suppose to be here. So when I finally did get him. It’s like this feeling you can’t explain. It’s a flood of relief, a flood of love. A flood of just gratitude,” says Misty Armstrong.

And it’s a gratitude equally felt by the city of Houston to honor the people in this unit that sacrificed so much of their life for our freedom. The City of Houston and Chickasaw county will name the Highway 15 bypass the Veterans Memorial Parkway in honor of all the veterans from the area who served our country.