CAMP ATTERBURY | Army National Guard Spc. Brian Vandenburgh's three brothers honored him Thursday with a special tribute.
When they arrived in Edinburgh, Ind., home to Camp Atterbury, Samuel, 9, Andrew, 12, and Daniel, 14, got their hair "buzz cut" to match their brother's.
Brian Vandenburgh, 22, a 2005 Lake Central High School graduate and an employee of the Schererville Public Works Department, was one of about 180 guardsmen who began a yearlong deployment Thursday.
"It was a choice me and my cousin decided upon," Vandenburgh said about his decision to join the National Guard. Sept. 11, 2001, had something to do with it. So did his dad's experience in the Army.
"I'm trying not to expect anything. It is an unknown, it is scary. We're going over there to help those guys out and come home safely," said Vandenburgh, who was seen off by his brothers, parents Brian and Barbara Vandenburgh, and girlfriend Kristy Sliger, all of Schererville.
"We are very proud of his service, but we're concerned parents," said dad Brian.
Craig Van Dyke's departure Thursday wasn't the first time he's left home. The 2006 Kouts High School graduate went to college at Indiana University in Bloomington, majoring in business and marketing after high school.
But this time his leaving is different, said his family, including parents Karyl and Paul and siblings Karley, Cole and Conor.
"He's going in the war," said 12-year-old Cole, choking back tears, knowing he was going to miss his big brother.
His mom was dealing with mixed feelings. "We're proud of him, but in a selfish way, we don't want him to go," said Karyl Van Dyke.
Pfc. Thattus McMurray, 21, a 2006 Portage High School graduate, said he was more concerned about his mother than himself. He was afraid she would have a difficult time with him leaving.
"I want to serve my country. I've been wanting to do it since I was in seventh grade. When 9/11 happened, it kind of hit me hard. When I turned 19, I decided I wanted to do this," said McMurray, who coaches wrestling at PHS and hopes to become a police officer when he comes back home.
Staff Sgt. Tom Horn, 46, of Valparaiso, has been in the National Guard for 13 years, but this is his first deployment. A detective with the Valparaiso Police Department, Horn said leaving his family, wife Monique, and children T.J., 17, Jacob, 12, and Mary, 7, was going to be difficult.
"It's going to be hard to leave my family, but I know it is the right thing to do," said Horn, adding Mary is having a difficult time understanding why her daddy has to be gone.
Sgt. Michael Svoboda, of Hobart, didn't bring any family members along with him to see him off. He said his goodbyes when he left home in the morning. It would have been too difficult for his wife and three daughters, especially the long trip back up to the region without him.
Svoboda, 36, a Federal Bureau of Prisons employee, joined the National Guard about three years ago. There were practical reasons -- 20 years in would help supplement his retirement -- and there were emotional reasons.
"I always felt that (serving his country) was something I should have done. I do like helping people," he said.
