From press reports

As the sun set in the Iraqi desert today, Mississippi guardsmen continued to make history. About 59 Mississippi Army National Guard soldiers from central and south Mississippi stationed in Iraq were awarded the coveted combat patch of the BIG RED ONE, the Army's storied 1st Infantry Division.

The soldiers of Headquarters, 298th Corps Support Battalion headquartered in Philadelphia, Mississippi were assigned to the BIG RED ONE in support of operations in Iraq. The battalion has served in theater since February 2004 and includes several Winston County residents.

The BIG RED ONE patch recognizes that a soldier has served in a combat zone for at least a month or has come under fire, or both, and was approved to be worn on the 60th anniversary of D-Day June 6, 2004. The 1st Infantry played a pivotal role in the invasion of France on June 6, 1944.

Major Lourie N. Formby III, a native of Picayune and the full-time Executive Officer (XO) in the battalion, said some members of his unit, have come under fire several times since they arrived in Iraq.

"You get the patch if you have been in a combat zone for 30 days or have been under hostile fire," he said. "Some of our soldiers have accomplished both."

Formby said the majority of soldiers in the battalion have never served in a combat zone and it is "a great honor" to receive the patch, although we do have several combat veterans from the Vietnam War and Desert Storm respectfully.

"They can pass it on to their children and their grandchildren to let them know they served in harm's way," he said. "I couldn't be more proud of the men and women I serve with."

"The 1st Infantry Division is the most decorated in history," he said. "Few get the chance to get that patch. This is exceeding everything I ever dreamed we would do."

Some of the younger soldiers "may not recognize the historical significance of what they are a part of but they will later as they move on through their careers," he said. Right now, though, "they are focused on the mission and its completion ... they just want to complete the mission and get back home to family and friends."

The BIG RED ONE patch is the only unit patch allowed to have color when worn on the combat uniform. The patch displays the bright red numeral 1 on a field of green. Other units can wear colored patches only on dress uniforms, he said.

The BIG RED ONE is the oldest continuously serving division of the U.S. Army and it has had many roles in shaping the country's history.

The 1st Infantry Division stormed Omaha Beach on June 6, 1944 (D Day) and pushed on into Germany, where it remained part of the occupation force at the end of the war. During that war the division suffered more than 21,000 casualties and its men won more than 20,000 medals and awards, including 16 Congressional Medals of Honor.

The division also served in Vietnam, where more than 3,000 BIG RED ONE soldiers died and 11 received Medals of Honor. In Desert Storm, the division lost 18 soldiers. We are all honored to be a part of this proud history.

Neshoba County suffers

second casualty in Iraq

Sources confirm Neshoba County native Lt. Matt Stovall, 25, was killed in Iraq. Stovall, deployed with the 367th Maintenance Company out of Philadelphia, left with the company in September. He is the second casualty from Neshoba County in Iraq. Sgt. Joshua S. Ladd of Philadelphia was killed May 1. Family sources report Stovall was killed by hostile fire on Saturday evening, Iraqi time. Officials with the 367th confirmed the death, but said details were not yet available.

Stovall is the son of Buck and Ellon Stovall of Philadelphia. His brother, Mark, is stationed in Iraq with the 298th Corps Support Battalion of Philadelphia and he has one older sister, Marsha.

Stovall, a 1997 graduate of Neshoba Central High School, attended East Central Community College and Mississippi State University. He and his wife Natalie have a 2-year-old son, Walker.

The couple purchased a home in Natalie's hometown of Southaven soon after he was deployed to Iraq.

Stovall worked as a dispatcher for Master Mix Concrete while serving with the Guard.