By Lori EhdeA contingent of Rock County residents joined thousands of family members and friends at a Mississippi military base last week to spend time with soldiers about to head overseas.There are 73 National Guard members with the Luverne and Pipestone units who will join 2,600 Minnesota soldiers leaving for Iraq.That represents the largest number of the state’s National Guard troops to see combat since World War II. Gov. Tim Pawlenty was on hand in Fort Shelby to address soldiers and their families at the deployment ceremony. "Our country loves you. Our country is deeply proud of you," he said Thursday. "We live in challenging times. Ease and comfort don't build the world we want to live in. We're here today to thank over 4,000 soldiers and their families."Parents, spouses, children and well-wishers huddled under ponchos and umbrellas Thursday to say good-bye.Luverne’s Don and Sharon Deutsch were among them to support their son, Brad."This will be the longest amount of time we’ve been separated, and we never questioned not going," Sharon said."We’ve already lost one child, so we know all too well that we have to take advantage of all the time we get with the boys. I know he was happy we were there."She said the rainy weather was disappointing, but the ceremonies were well worth it."I will say I’ve never seen anything that moved me so much as when thousands of soldiers started marching on the field," Deutsch said. "I wish more people could have seen and felt the emotions from the crowd that day."She said she was impressed by the morale of the soldiers. "They were actually comforting us, trying to make us feel better about them leaving," she said. "A lot of them seemed to just want to get over there, do the job, and come home again. I didn’t hear any of the soldiers complain – it was just incredible to hear and see what these people have been doing the last few months."The Pipestone-Luverne soldiers left home in September and have been training for the past six months. Now they will put to use their expertise in what will likely be combat areas near Baghdad."It just can’t be expressed how we feel to have our loved ones involved in this," Deutsch said. "I just don’t know how to convey all the feelings we’ve experienced … since he completed basic and AIT training."Making the trip to say good-bye took time and money for those who made it through. The Deutsches paid for 22 nights of motel rooms just for their immediate family, plus the grandparents. In addition they paid for meals, gas and miscellaneous expenses. To make matters worse, government officials granted extensions to displaced hurricane victims living in hotel rooms in Hattiesburg near Fort Shelby. That meant visiting military families who had reserved rooms were turned away last week."I think everyone burned a lot of gas, as most of us could not get motel rooms in Hattiesburg – we were 75 miles away," Deutsch said."I don’t know how some of the young families managed – it’s a huge expense, and some of them are hurting financially anyway. But I did not hear anyone complain – we were all happy we could be together before they left."Patti Thielbar made the trip with her children and her brother-in-law and sister-in-law Bart and Paula Thielbar to say good-bye to Brock Thielbar.She said getting there was hectic because the weather caused flight cancellations and delays. But she said she was grateful their hotel rooms were available in Hattiesburg."Other than the weather, I definitely wouldn’t have changed a thing," Patti said.She said the ceremonies and activities were tasteful.U.S. Sen. Mark Dayton traveled from St. Paul to Camp Shelby on Wednesday, March 15, and St. Paul businesses shared delicacies that day.More than 8,000 complimentary steaks were served from the popular Mancini’s Char House, St. Paul, in addition to food and refreshments from Cosetta’s, O’Gara’s Bar & Grill and others at a picnic gathering. Festivities also featured family entertainment, bands and inflatable gym equipment for children.Luverne’s Sandy Maxwell agreed that the trip was worth making to say good-bye to her daughter, Erin Lammert, and to see where she’s been living and training the past six months."I think they’re really prepared and ready to go," Maxwell said after returning to Luverne. "Some of their stuff has already been shipped over, and I think they know that it’s time."Harry and Bernice Blomgren, Beaver Creek, weren’t able to travel to Fort Shelby, but they exchange frequent letters with their son 1st Lt. Wade Blomgren, Minneapolis.Bernice shared the following excerpt from a recent letter that she said reflected the sincerity and dedication of both a son and soldier. "I wouldn’t be the man I am today if it weren’t for you two," wrote the Hills-Beaver Creek High School graduate to his parents. "I am leaving for a place where the score is for real. The stakes are high, but so is the payoff. I know this is going to be a hand I win! There isn’t a job in the world I would rather have right now. I am part of the best trained, competent destroyers of evil I have ever seen. These men and I will come home at all costs to the country of Iraq. We will be there to help until the second that their simple-mindedness puts the life of one of my men in danger. That will be the last stupid thing they will ever do. "I have learned so many things about myself since I have been here. The one thing that I have been happy to realize is that I play the part very well. I play the part of a businessman, husband and lover at home, but here it is something different. I play the part of organized chaos, with unparalleled intensity and great agility. We are here training to do nothing more than kill people who have no regard for human life or social equality."