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of Sumter, South Carolina of Dalzell, South Carolina at death- she had 8 grandchildren and a great-grandchild
CAMP LIBETY, Iraq - “I never really intended it. I just went to the armory with my dad for a dinner, he walked me around, and the next thing I knew, I was signing up!” • That is how Staff Sgt. Timothy Pope of Sumter recalls his decision to join the South Carolina Army National Guard in 1982. Although he remembers being excited at the prospect of earning additional money and learning new job skills, Pope’s decision to enlist was driven by his father. • “I was excited at the prospect of working with my dad,” Pope recalled. “We have always been very close.” • His father, Sgt. 1st Class Jennings W. Pope, spent nearly 28 years in the Guard before he retired in 1992. A veteran of the Korean War, Jennings Pope always took great pride in his military service. • “He had his stuff together,” his son recalled. “His uniform was always pressed, and he would shine his boots until they gleamed.” • In August 2006, when Staff Sgt. Pope informed his father that their old unit, the 151st Field Artillery Brigade, was being activated, he recalled his Dad not being particularly happy about his son heading to war. • “I gress I will always be his baby boy,” the 43-year-old noncommissioned officer said, laughing. • While in Iraq, Pope worked in the headquarters of the Multi-National Division - Baghdad under the 1st Cavalry Division at Camp Liberty, a base camp in the western part of the Iraqi capital, not far from Baghdad International Airport. His main mission entailed preparing logistical packets and obtaining funding for supplies for the Iraqi army and police. • Pope and the rest of the 151st are slated to return Sunday from their 13-month deployment to their South Carolina homes and loved ones. A welcome-home celebration is slated for 6 p.m. at the National Guard Armory on North Pike West. The public is encouraged to attend. • Besides seeing his parents again, Pope said he is looking forward to spending time with his son Joshua, 20, and his twin 14-year-old daughters Ashely and Arlette. With his tour nearing its end, however, Pope said his father has become more comfortable with the deployment. • “Now, I think he wishes he was still in the Guard,” Pope said, “and that he had come over here with us.” [2, 3, 4] |
d. 12 Jul 2016 (Age 83 years) 