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WEDNESDAY, JULY 23, 2003
Murray: Iraq a dangerous place
By Heather Fasciocco
HHJ Staff Writer
WARNER ROBINS - The
Warner Robins Rotary Club
conducted a weekly meeting
recently at the Wellston Center
and were honored with a
informative discussion about
Operation Iraqi Freedom and
its operations from guest speak
er, Army Lt. Col. Don Murray.
Murray has been a member of
the Army JSTARS program
with the 116th Air Control
Wing since July 2001, and cur
rently serves as the Army
JSTARS Group’s operations
officer and deputy mission crew
commander.
He recently flew 24 missions
during the war in Afghanistan
and completed a four-month
tour of duty in Operation Iraqi
Freedom as the JSTARS
Liaison Officer to the Coalition
Forces Land Component
Commander (CFLCC) in Camp
Doha, Kuwait.
Murray enlightened Rotary
Club members with a descrip
tion of what the initial plans
were for the Army, Air Force
and Marines’ expeditions over
seas in seeking the Iraqi people
their freedom from a tyrannical
leader such as Saddam Hussein.
He reminded members about
President George W. Bush’s
decision for U.S. troops to move
into enemy territory on March
19.
He described Gen. Tommy
Franks, former Central
Command commander, as doing
an “Outstanding job there.”
Murray also focused on the
role military soldiers played in
the face of battle.
“Many think the best soldiers
are those men and women who
served in World War II,” he
said. “I’d like to present to you
today that the men and women
serving today are at least their
equal.”
He said all those soldiers who
took part whether actively over
seas or supporting from the
homefront put on a uniform vol
untarily.
Murray shocked members
with pictures of soldiers beside
tankers carrying rifles and a
close-up snapshot of an army
soldier sitting in one of
Hussein’s castles on his throne.
He said more than 200,000
military personnel, whether
active duty, reserve, National
Guard or civilian were deployed
overseas this past year. More
than 150,000 individuals are
still waiting for their orders.
Murray said one main reason
why soldiers are still stationed
in the Middle East is because
the belief of weapons of mass
destruction (WMDs) still being
held within enemy territory.
Andrew speaks on changes
By Judy Hall
HHJ Staff Writer
PERRY - Jenny Andrew,
director of the Perry Area
Convention and Visitors
Bureau, recently shared with
Perry Exchange Club members
her views on the changing trav
el trends in the past five years.
Andrew has been with the Perry
Area CVB since 1994 and oper
ated a travel agency prior to
then.
According to Andrew, Sept. 11,
2001, was a major turning point
for travel, both in the U.S. and
overseas. The lodging industry
was hit hard across the entire
U.S., but the hotel-motel tax in
Perry indicates that Perry area
has not suffered as much as
many other areas.
“The family has become num
ber one,” Andrew said. Long
trips were down and people
were reluctant to stay in high
rise hotels, such as the Westin-
Peachtree in Atlanta. People
were interested in family-based
activities, many of them day
trips, close to home. Families
are taking mini-vacations.
Another trend that has grown
is the recreational vehicle (RV)
industry as evidenced by the
Family Motor Coach
Association (FMCA) rallies. The
FMCA rallies that have taken
place in Perry at the Georgia
National Fairgrounds (GNFA)
in 1999 and 2002 had record
numbers. FMCA is due back in
Perry at GNFA in 2005.
Another 12 to 13 RV rallies are
held at the GNFA each year.
There are reportedly more than
7.5 million RVs on the U.S.
highways with half of U.S. fam
ilies owning one.
Many grandparents are tak
ing their grandchildren on trips
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HHJ Heather Fasciocco
Army Lt. Col. Daniel Murray speaks before the Warner Robins
Rotary Club recently at the Wellston Center. Murray is the oper
ations officer for JSTARS Army Group in the 116th Air Control
Wing at Robins Air Force Base.
“I think a great deal of
progress is being made, but
that’s not the focus - it is the
livelihood of each soldier,” he
said.
He personally believes there
are still WMDs in Iraq, whether
buried in the yards of Iraqi res
idents or hoarded away beneath
the sand.
“We’ve given them ample
opportunity to hide them,” he
said.
Murray said a couple of mili
tary objectives once going into
the war was seeking the end of
the regime of Hussein, and
identifying, isolating and elimi
nating the WMDs.
“My belief is weapons of mass
destruction is still over there,”
Murray said. “Every soldier
over there believes they exist
and every airman searches for
them.”
Other objectives for U.S.
Troops are to secure Iraq’s oil
fields and resources in order to
restore Iraq’s economy, and
help Iraq create conditions for a
transition to a representative
self-government.
He quoted a total of 29,199
bombs being dropped overseas
and 9, 351 of them not being
Jenny Andrew
in their RVs camping out at
state parks and near theme
parks.
Another trend that has seen a
rebirth in popularity is Motor
Coach Tours, particularly
among the over-65 crowd. The
baby boomers who have just
begun to reach retirement age
(some are retiring earlier than
usual) are spoiled, she said.
They don’t want to get up early,
but they want every element of
their travel planned for them,
including food. Motor coach
tours can make all the arrange
ments for them, they don’t have
to fly which adds a touch of
security and they get to see all
the sights along the way.
Even with the changes in air
line security, many do not want
to fly. They do however say, “I
am not going to stop traveling.”
Charles Lewis went on an
8,000-mile trip out west
because, “I always wanted to do
it.”
Instead of flying many are
smart bombs, which pinpoint
accuracies of targets, since
March 19. Murray said in
Desert Storm the military
forces used less than 10 percent
of smart bombs and found that
they were necessary in this
instance to minimize damage to
buildings and homes next to
those of Iraqi defense facilities
and Hussein’s castles of which
were being bombed.
At the closing of his discus
sion over the significant role of
each military branch played in
successfully freeing the Iraqi
people from a dictatorship, he
said soldiers continue to be in
harm’s way.
Murray quoted 138
Americans have died before
May 1 and there have been 64
since then. Out of the 64 deaths,
30 of them were considered
combat deaths. He said on the
average one soldier dies a day.
“It is a dangerous environ
ment for everyone,” Murray
said. Murray and those like him
persevere and keep in mind of
their mission of restoring order
to the Iraqi people.
“The bottom line is - America
must keep its promise to the
Iraqi people.”
in travel trends
“putting the rubber to the
road” and traveling on state
and federal highways through
out the U.S. Some are even trav
eling long distances by car or
RV The popularity of the “back
roads” has increased when peo
ple become bored by the same
ness of the interstate highways.
A Georgia group of travel
industry people has formed the
Highway 41 Partnership to pro
mote travel on the once-popular
highway from Perry to Valdosta.
Patriotism has seemed to
increase the appreciation for
the U.S. making travelers want
to see more of their homeland.
The business meeting and
convention travel market has
been hard hit with many con
ventions being cancelled when
they involve air travel. Many
companies are going to telecon
ferencing and using Federal
Express and UPS Air to get doc
uments to other business loca
tions.
One other issue that Andrew
wanted to make sure people
knew was that local citizens
were aware that none of the tax
money they pay, either real
estate or sales tax, goes to sup
port the Convention and
Visitors Bureau. The Perry CVB
is supported by the hotel/motel
tax paid by those who stay in
our hotels and motels. The city
of Perry collects the tax from
hotel/motel management for
the CVB. Six hundred thousand
dollards was collected in 2002.
Andrew was also anticipating
the additional visitors who
would come to the GNFA’s new
Miller-Murphy-Howard build
ing. Andrew says some people
are referring to the new build
ing as “The golden egg that the
state laid.”
CLUB NEWS
American Legion installs new officers
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HHJ Jon Suggs
The new officers of the Perry American Legion Post are (back row, from left) Drew Bynum,
Gordon Scarborough, David Hawk, Fae Casper (not a member), Thomas Mayo, Raymond Gomto,
Don Norris; (front row) Steve Pace (sitting in for Tommy Wood), Earl Cheek, Walt Rembisz, Vernon
Bentz, Harry Bretz. i
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The Sorelle Club recognized newly installed officers at a recent
luncheon at the Swanson. Pictured are (front row, from left)
Secretary Agnes Hardy, Treasurer Lois Athon, and President
Louise Stewart; (second row) Marjorie Suber, Nannie Laura
Fudge and Jean Gilbert; (third row) Elizabeth Talton, Chris
Hafley, Alene Ursrey, June Vogt and Louise McKinley. Vice
President Jean Bledsoe was not present.
The club meets monthly on the third Wednesday at 3 p.m.
Charities which the club helps to support include Hospice of
Houston County, Rainbow House, Meal on Wheels, Project
Agape Love (PAL) and the Perry Club Council.
Subscribe today
. Call
987-1823
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Wedding
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915 Carroll Street
Downtown... Perry, Georgia
Sorelle club recognizes new officers
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...A fabulously
fun shopl
Tuesday-Saturday
10 until 5
915 Carroll Street
Downtown... Perry; Georgia
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