Filed by Melody Cooley
On Saturday, family members with the Dayton unit of the Tennessee National Guard's 1/181st Field Artillery Battalion met at Amigos restaurant in Dayton. The purpose of the gathering was to disperse $2,325 contributed by members of the community to 10 soldiers' families.
Several businesses and people contributed money to be given to the families to be used to offset the costs of airplane tickets that were used to bring the soldiers home for leave in August before they deployed to Iraq.
Family members want to say to the community and all those who gave how very much it was appreciated.
Melody Cooley is the wife of Sgt. Randy Cooley, a soldier with the Chattanooga-based 1/181st Field Artillery Battalion. Sgt. Cooley is one of about 350 soldiers with the battalion serving in Iraq.
