Moving on with a smile ... and tears

October 04, 2004

You can always tell when Lt. Keith Wilson of Sherwood is happy.

He balls up his fists, smiles and does a little jig that reminds me of the happy dance performed by Snoopy the Peanuts cartoon character.

Wilson swings his forearms in circles while tossing his head and kicking out one leg.

It’s pretty funny.

There was no Snoopy dance today.

Today Wilson said goodbye to Bravo Company, handing command over to Capt. Chad Bridges of Searcy with the symbolic passing of the unit flag.

Arkansas Democrat-Gazette/STEPHEN B. THORNTON Capt. Chad Bridges of Searcy (left) shakes the hand of Lt. Keith Wilson of Sherwood after taking command of Bravo Company, 3rd Battalion of Arkansas’ 39th Infantry Brigade. More pictures

It wasn’t easy, although he did it with a smile ... and tears.

Lt. Col. Kirk VanPelt, 3rd Battalion commander, said, “We’ve come a long way since the last change of command.”

The last change of command was while the company prepared for war. It faced newcomers, with a platoon of New York guardsmen joining the ranks.

“First Platoon, I was a little worried at first about tossing Yankees and rednecks together,” Wilson said with a laugh. “Second [platoon], you were my go-to guys. Third [platoon], my [roadside bomb] hunters.”

Then he thanked Brig. Gen. Ron Chastain, brigade commander, for giving him the “time of his life.”

There have been some times, all right.

Like perfecting breadmaking in a war zone.

And getting the gun shot out of his hand in a firefight.

From the day Bravo Company lost Sgt. Kenneth Melton to a roadside bomb, when Wilson stood by and cried with his men, to the everyday laughter roaring from the Doghouse, which is what Wilson called the Bravo Company headquarters room.

Wilson and Bravo Company have been through a lot in the last year.

Now he’s the battalion personnel officer, taking care of its 700 soldiers.

And Bridges, the former battalion personnel officer, is taking command of Bravo Company.

And he will undoubtedly rack up just as many of those memories as Wilson has. That’s just the way it is.

Taking command is one of the happiest days and leaving it is one of the saddest.

Bridges said Wilson is a “friend and brother,” and hugged him as he took the floor before his new company.

He spoke of discipline and hard work.

“We will have a spirit of excellence,” he said. “We will be audacious and crafty.”

Wilson grinned at that one.

And that was it.

It was over.

Soldiers filed by Wilson, offering hugs and pats on the back.

And briefly, after one soldier picked Wilson up off the floor in a pseudo-wrestling move, I saw the glimmer of a Snoopy dance.

Posted by Amy at October 4, 2004 10:45 AM