New armory is welcome addition

Military outfits in the Flathead Valley have a new base of operations just north of Kalispell.

The Montana National Guard and Army Reserve - plus the Montana Veterans Affairs Division and family services - are under one roof at the new Armed Forces Reserve Center.

Speakers at Wednesday's dedication ceremonies for the new center lauded both the new facilities and the men and women who will serve there.

The dedication day (Dec. 7) was an apt date, falling on the anniversary of the Pearl Harbor attack in 1941. For the newest generation of soldiers, readiness is at the core of operations, a readiness that has been instilled for decades by memories of that long-ago "day that shall live in infamy."

In a separate military vein, a contingent of soldiers in Iraq is about to get a big surprise from Kalispell.

Fourth-graders at Trinity Lutheran are sending a big dose of Christmas cheer to the 140 members of a unit stationed in Tal Afar.

The goodies range from candy bars to toiletries, plus a dozen homemade cookies for each and every soldier. That 140 dozen cookies represents part of a big community effort to make Christmas a little sweeter for the Eagle Troop soldiers, one of whom has children attending Trinity Lutheran.

What a great way to spread the holiday spirit.

The North Valley has lost quite a leader with the passing of Jack Thompson.

Thompson, who died Sunday at age 71, was the main man for decades at North Valley Search and Rescue.

The burly Columbia Falls man was a fixture at rescues and search scenes ever since the North Valley group formed in 1970. As the man synonymous with search-and-rescue efforts, he also served as president of the organization for many, many years.

Thompson, who had a long career at Columbia Falls Aluminum Co. and even took up a retirement career digging graves, will be missed.

There are countless people over the years who can probably credit their survival to Thompson and the other dedicated volunteers of North Valley Search and Rescue.