54-year old reservist headed to Middle East
A former New Prague man shipped out with his Army Reserve unit earlier this month for deployment in the Middle East, and his grandchildren were on hand to say goodbye.
Command Sergeant Major Mark K. Whade, 54, a 34-year veteran of the Army Reserve, was scheduled to retire from the Army Reserve in May, 2005. That retirement was deferred as his unit, the 457th Transportation Battalion based out of Fort Snelling, left October 8 for Fort McCoy, WI. From there they will be sent to Kuwait and then with supplies, they will be sent to Iraq.
CSM Whade, the son of Donna Whade of New Prague and Arvid Whade of Spirit Lake, IA, is a 1967 graduate of New Prague High School. His wife, Patty, is the daughter of Blase and Elsie Bisek of New Prague. The Whades live in Walker, in northern Minnesota.
