Kingsport Times-News
Saturday August 21, 2004

By Staff and wire report

HATTIESBURG, Miss. - The 278th Armored Cavalry Regiment has added an exhibit to Camp Shelby's Armed Forces Museum to show the unit's history and its role in Operation Iraqi Freedom.

The regiment of about 4,000 soldiers from five states is training at Camp Shelby for deployment to Iraq late this year or early in 2005.

The exhibit features the names of all the soldiers in the current deployment. Most are from the Tennessee National Guard but others come from Texas, Wisconsin, Vermont, New Jersey and Massachusetts units deploying with the 278th.

"It was moving," said 1st Lt. Prem Pereira, a member of the 386th Engineer Battalion from Texas. "I don't know if I quite like seeing my name in a museum. It's kind of creepy - museums are full of dead people."

Maj. Jack Coleman, a full-time Tennessee National Guard officer and former art teacher and graphics designer, put the exhibit together at the invitation of museum director Chad Daniels. Daniels said Wednesday that the exhibit will be a permanent one.

The exhibit documents the history of the cavalry unit, which traces its roots to militia in eastern Tennessee before the American Revolution. It features the cavalry's traditional black Stetson hat and saber along with regimental patches and the regimental print, including the motto "I Volunteer Sir."

The 278th ACR will leave Camp Shelby at the end of September for 30 days at the National Training Center, Fort Irwin, Calif. The unit will return to Camp Shelby before deploying.

The exhibit will remain as a permanent tribute to their service, said Col. Dennis Adams, commander of the 278th.

"This will be the place we can bring our children and grandchildren to show them where we came together to form an outstanding regimental combat team," he said.

About 850 East Tennessee troopers are deployed with the 278th.

The Headquarters and Headquarters Troop of the 278th's Second Squadron is based in Kingsport. Units from Rogersville, Bristol, Greeneville, Erwin, Kodak and Jefferson City are also part of the 278th deployment.

Story from Kingsport TimesNews