What time do you get up on a Sunday? This past weekend members of Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 7287 and Auxiliary 7287 were up before daylight to serve our men in uniform.

This past weekend was the regular monthly training weekend for the Coushatta National Guard unit. They proved the Army slogan, “We do more before 9:00 am than most people do all day!” This was the weekend for their annual 12-mile trek.

Over forty members of C Troop, 2-108th Cavalry Squadron were up before daylight and dressed in fatigues, boots, and a pack of at least 35 pounds. They departed the armory at about 0630 hours (that’s 6:30 for the rest of us) at a swift jog.

Their route took them through town to the Highway 84 bridge. Once across Red River they took River Road south to Highway 1, then north to a dirt road cut through back to River Road where they retraced their route back across the bridge and to the armory.

Along that route there were stands set up for the soldiers to get some refreshment during their 12-mile journey. The Post and Auxiliary manned the stand set up in John Perkins’ front yard on River Road. Auxiliary members Dawn Brewer, Ramel Fields, and Angelia McCoy joined Post Commander Barry McCoy and Quartermaster John Brewer in passing out water, Gatorade and fresh fruit as the soldiers came running by.

Last weekend both the VFW and National Guard proved saying is true. But it was Sunday; so most of us aren’t expected to do much before 9:00 am.