Reception honors active duty troops

A large group of well-wishers turned out Sunday evening for a reception honoring active duty military personnel at City Hall in Sisters.

Marc (Clemmer) Peck and Nolan Peck were on hand, which meant both of Marcus Peck's boys are home for Christmas.

"We had a real surprise last night," Marcus said. "Nolan showed up and we weren't expecting that at all. Marc is here, too. That made our Christmas."

Marc is serving in the U.S. Army, while Nolan is a refrigeration mechanic in the U.S. Marine Corps.

Davis Duncan is on leave in Sisters before continuing training to join the 75th Ranger Regiment as a medic.

"I'm just excited to be able to come back to Sisters whenever I'm on leave," he said.

Kevin Sampson is enjoying a chance to sleep in and hopefully do some snowboarding after finishing off an intense term at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point. He's currently a sophomore and he plans to go in to artillery or infantry for his required five years of service after graduating West Point.

All four young men received alpaca wool socks from Barbara Pieper of Panorama Ranch and her granddaughter Meghan. Parents of other active duty troops also received the warm, comfortable socks to pass on to their children who could not attend the event.

There are currently 16 Sisters folks serving in the military.

One of those is Captain Justin Robson of the Army National Guard, who sent a flag that flew over his base in Afghanistan for display at City Hall. Captain Robson has been training Afghan police and his father said he is likely to defer promotion to Major so that he can go to Ranger school and serve as a team leader.

Folks in Sisters have been sending Captain Robson school supplies and other items to share with Afghan children.

City Hall has become the home of a display board telling the story of the men and women currently serving in the military, and honoring those serving has become an important point for staff.

The event was organized by Military Parents of Sisters, but coordinator Cindy Bell was quick to give credit to City Hall staff for the idea of hosting a holiday event.

"It's the City Hall gals that did this," Bell said. "Kathy Nelson, Julie Pieper, Eileen Stein."

Mayor Lon Kellstrom spoke briefly.

"We are humbled by their presence," he said. "And isn't it a great community that we gather here to honor their dedication, commitment and service and to say thank you."