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CAMBRIDGE SPRINGS — With American flags clutched in their small hands, more than 600 children from Cambridge Springs lined Steele Street Wednesday morning to say goodbye to Iraq-bound soldiers from the 1st Battalion 112th Infantry.

Many of the children were more than happy to be outside in the late-summer sun and were ready for the “parade.” Others, however, like Aubrey Noble, had a greater understanding of exactly what was going on.

“We’ve been waiting and planning for a week for the soldiers to come,” the second-grader said. “They’re going to down to Mississippi to be with my dad.”

Her father, Pennsylvania National Guard Chief Warrant Officer Michael Noble, departed for Mississippi Friday to prepare for the hundreds of troops that were due to arrive throughout the day Wednesday after leaving from their Cambridge Springs base. There they will train until December. After a visit home for the holidays, they will head to Iraq.

The convoy of vehicles that comprised Wednesday’s “parade” could be heard before it was seen. Some of the littlest kids in the line covered their ears as blaring police, ambulance and fire department sirens became louder and louder as they approached from Venango Street, heading towards Cambridge Springs Elementary School.

Cambridge Springs sendoff from The Meadville Tribune on Vimeo.

Alongside the students, friends, families and other members of the community took part in the send-off and joined in the children’s chant, “U.S.A., U.S.A.” as the charter buses approached the parking lot.

As they exited the buses and headed towards the crowds of well wishers, it was obvious from their ear-to-ear grins that the troops were thrilled to be there.

Dressed in their camouflage fatigues, many of the soldiers stopped to shake hands with visitors, many having to bend over to greet some of the smallest ones face-to-face.

After they passed by and headed towards the back of the school for an informal assembly, Thora Dunn, 85, stopped to rest on the tailgate of her neighbor’s truck. The former cafeteria worker said she came over just to say goodbye to the troops before they head overseas to Iraq.

“I’ve lived through many wars, beginning with the day the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor,” she said, “And I know that by being here today I will raise their morale; today will be a reminder that they are fighting for a purpose.”