Community, Catholic parish affected by Guard deployment

Published: 2004-09-23

WILMINGTON, Del. (CNS) -- When Charles Horner rushed to move his family into a new house Sept. 9, he knew he would not have a chance to live there for at least 18 months. When Alex Lapinsky took his wife and three children to dinner the evening of Sept. 9, he realized as he looked across the table at them that he would miss his oldest daughter's high school graduation next spring. Similar scenes played out 108 more times as 110 members of the Milford-based Delaware Army National Guard mobilized for active duty. At least 12 months of their 18-month deployment will be in Iraq, a Guard spokesman said. But as members of the 945th Service Company left for Fort Dix, N.J., Sept. 10, they knew that they and their families would be strongly supported by relatives, friends, a school community and people they have never met. For example, students at St. Thomas More Academy in Magnolia offered to take Horner's children to home basketball games and other activities. This would have been Horner's sixth season as boys' basketball coach at the diocesan high school. St. John the Apostle Church in Milford collected toiletries for the troops in an effort led by the mother and grandmother of one Guard member.

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