Louisiana has a strong history with the National Guard beginning during the Civil War when the Washington Artillery of New Orleans was founded. With its iconic emblem of a fierce tiger and cannons and a nick name of the “Louisiana Tigers,” we can attribute the Louisiana State University mascot to the dedicated service of this group.
More recently, our local 256th Brigade Special Troops Battalion in Plaquemine served our country from 2004 -2005 for the Operation Iraqi Freedom III. They were primarily stationed in and around Baghdad, Iraq where they lost 32 brave soldiers to the cause. In 2005 the soldiers had to endure the destruction of their beloved New Orleans due to Hurricane Katrina from afar. Many returned home to aid the New Orleans Police Department with the protection of the city. Most of the Brigade remained on duty in New Orleans for almost five months after their return from Iraq assisting with rescue missions, reconstruction, and security purposes.
On May 19, 2008 the Brigade was notified of their return to Iraq for early 2010. Nottoway is proud to support our troops in their valiant efforts and is hosting their deployment ceremony on property this month. We will keep them all in our thoughts and prayers and look forward for their safe return home.
