218th Ambulance Co. holds reunion

With the Korean War escalating across the Pacific, the call for troops went out in 1950 and the National Guard's 218th Ambulance Company of Piggott responded.

By early 1951 over 100 men from around Clay County were set to ship out, with their first destination Fort Sam Houston in Texas. From there many of the guardsmen went on to Korea, while others were stationed at other bases around the country and the world.

Last Friday, July 3, over two dozen of the remaining members of the company gathered at the Piggott Diner for their annual reunion.

The event, which was organized by company member Bob Johnson, gave the veterans a chance to reminisce and share stories of their time in service. Max Mayberry, who was selected to go but never left the U.S., noted that each year the numbers dwindle. "There aren't as many of us as there were before," he observed. He also added that the selection process back then was far from high tech, "we got down on the floor and rolled dice to determine whether we were going or not," he remembered.

Organizers also noted that plans are already underway for the 2010 reunion of the 218th Ambulance Company, which will serve as the 60th anniversary of the original call-up.