5,787,831 Hits in 2007!
From 01/01/2007 through 12/31/2007, www.PortlandTN.com received over 5.5 million hits.  This compares to 5,092,210 hits in 2006; 4,090,956 hits in 2005; 2,811,229 hits in 2004; 2,011,919 hits in 2003; and 1,187,155 hits in 2002.  Thanks to all our visitors and to the site's sponsors who help us keep growing!

Portland Now Has a Web Blog!
www.PortlandTN.net
What's a blog? Please click here.
Want to be an author on our blog? Please click here.
Want to know about the strawberry above?  Please see the blog!

A special Thank You for all of the men and women from Portland who are serving in the Armed Forces.  Thank you for what you do for our country!

Greg Allen will be returning from Afghanistan soon. Greg is with the 118th Airlift Wing base in Nashville. He is a graduate of Portland 97 and now resides in Springfield, Tennessee, with his wife Angie and baby daughter Audri.

Adam Barton has returned from Iraq after serving with the Bravo Company of the Kentucky Army National Guard.  Thanks, Adam!

Paul Berard is serving in the Navy.  He is stationed in Hawaii.

Sgt. Kelly Bandy is about to be pinned SSgt.  He is currently serving his second tour in Iraq with 2nd Brigade, 1st and 7th Field Artillery , Headquarters Battery out of Schweinfurt Germany.  He and his wife Leigh Ann have been married for seven years and have four children.  Any and all prayers are always welcome and appreciated.

Nicky Barton and Starfire Barton have returned from serving in South Korea.  Nicky is currently in Georgia. Starfire is currently in Arizona.

Jason Brown.  Jason has lived in Portland almost all of his life.  His sister works at Village Drugs.  Jason is serving in the Army, stationed in Fort Hood, Texas, 4th Infantry Division, where he is a Bradley mechanic.

Nick Burnett is a 2006 graduate of Portland High School. He joined the Tennessee National Guard in August 2007 and graduated from Basic Combat Training at Fort Jackson, South Carolina, in November, 2007. He is currently completing his Advanced Individual Training at Aberdeen Proving Ground in Maryland. When he returns in March of 2008, he plans to enroll in Western Kentucky University, work and serve in the Tennessee National Guard. Nick is the son of Doug and Denise Burnett and brother of Joshua all of Portland.

SSG James Covey is active duty in the Tennessee Army National Guard.  He is in the Joint Force Headquarters unit in Nashville, Tennessee.  James lives in Portland with his wife Nikki and two children, Cailtyn Covey (8), and Ryan Covey (5).

Sgt Darrell Dixon (Daniel) has completed his tour of duty in Iraq. He will be stationed at Fort Hood, TX.  Sgt Dixon is a 2001 graduate of Portland High School.

SRA Austin Ecker is back at Yokota, Japan, after serving a tour of duty in Afghanistan.  Congratulations on his promotion to Senior Airman!

SSgt.  Randal L Ecker is back at Yokota, Japan, after serving a tour of duty in Al Udeid AB, Qatar in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. Randal and his wife have extended at Yokota until November 2009.  Please read an article about Randal's role in rescuing the Russian sailors from their mini-sub!  Opens as a Microsoft Word document.

HM2 (AW/SW) Matthew G. Edens, United States Navy is currently stationed in Fallon, Nevada, at Fallon Naval Air Station.  Matthew is a 1993 graduate of Portland High School.  His parents are Victor and DeeAnna Edens of Portland.

Matthew S. Freedle, Senior Airman in the Air Force (recently tested for Staff Sergeant), is currently stationed at Hurlbert Field in Ft. Walton Beach, Florida. He has served in Kuwait and Iraq. Matt is now beginning his fifth year in the United States Air Force. He resides in Florida with his wife Kimberly (also a Senior Airman) and son Coledon.

Ben Green is serving in Afghanistan with the 173rd Airborne.  His unit is based in Italy.  Ben graduated from Portland High School in 2000.

SFC Lance Hofmann is stationed at Ft. Campbell, Kentucky. He is an active duty soldier in the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment. His wife and three children live in Portland.

SSGT William "Bill" Houser, USMC. Is currently deployed overseas in Japan. He has served 2 six-month tours aboard the USS Harry S. Truman in the Persian Gulf.  His stepson Chris Seals is a former Marine who served in Afghanistan, and his stepson Cpl. Jaymes Seals is an active duty Marine also stationed in Japan. His youngest son A1C Harley Houser joined the USAF and is stationed at Offutt AFB, Nebraska.

SSG Tommy D. Johnson, Portland native, has been serving in the US Army since 1997. Tommy served in the DISCOM, 101ST Airborne Division (Air Assault) from 1998-2000, deploying to Central America from fall 1998 through spring 1999. He served a one year tour with the 278TH ACR out of Sumner County from Dec 2000-Dec 2001. He returned to the regular Army Jan 2002 stationed at FT Polk, LA.  He served with the 46TH ENG BN in Operation Iraq Freedom One. In 2004 he returned to the 101ST Airborne to serve in the 4TH BDE, 506TH RCT, famous for WWII D-Day, and Battle of the Bulge. He then returned to Combat in OIF 5,6, and 7 with the "Band of Brothers". After returning to the US in November of 2006, he took an assignment as Cadre at Camp Frank D. Merrill, Dahlonega, GA. He currently supports Ranger Training at the 5TH Ranger Training Battalion. SSG Johnson is happily married to to his wife of eight years, Tara. They have two children Dylan, 5, and Bayleigh, 2, and the family lives in Dahlonega, Georgia.

Cory Kiper

Cory Mark Kiper is the brother of Keriann Anderson and Amber Watson.  Keriann and Amber both graduated from Portland High School in 2002.  Cory completed 21 weeks of extensive Army Military Police (MP) training November 30, 2006, in Ft. Leonardwood, Missouri.  He left on January 3, 2007 for South Korea where he will be stationed on a one-year tour of duty.  Cory's mom, Kellie Watson, makes this interesting comment, "I strongly believe that, if they would bring the guys home from Iraq and send all of the mothers, we could get this war over with REAL quick."

Air Force Technical Sergeant Joey D. Link, 29, of Portland died August 5, 2007 in Qatar after battling a major infection.  Link had been serving with the 39th Airlift Squadron which travels between Africa, Afghanistan and Iraq delivering troops and supplies.  Portland mourns the loss.

PFC Joshua C. May, a 2003 graduate of PHS, just deployed for a year-long tour of duty with the 978th MP CO in Operation Iraqi Freedom. His wife and his immediate family currently reside in Portland. Upon the completion of his tour, Joshua's duty station will be Ft. Bliss, TX, where his wife will move (with their basset hound) sometime in the next year. Please keep him in your prayers, for his safety as well as his optimism.

PFC Josiah I. May, a 2004 graduate of PHS, is almost through serving his year-long tour of duty in Operation Enduring Freedom. He is serving with the 92nd MP CO in Afghanistan and upon completion of his tour he'll head back to his duty station in Frankfurt, Germany. His immediate family resides in Portland, and his dogs will soon be making a trans-Atlantic trip to join him in Europe. Please keep him in your prayers, for his safety as well as his optimism.

AM3 James Meador (Jay), US Navy. Jay is currently stationed in Guam, Island Knights-HSC25, http://www.andersen.af.mil/HSC25/contact.html.  He has received commendations for his work with the tsunami relief in Indonesia and the South Pacific.  Jay has been active since 2001 and is a1998 PHS graduate.

Ryan Mills is a Staff Sergeant in the US Army Reserves. He is an active duty recruiter working out of the Madison, Tenn. Station. He has been in the Army for 16 years. He lives with his wife Miranda, two sons Connor (age 2) and JJ (age 10 months) and 4-year-old Shi Tzu Samson. The family has been in Portland for two months and love the area.

SPC Christopher T. Murdock is being deployed for his second tour in Iraq on September 28, 2007. He was married on June 9, 2007 to Ashley (Shacklett). He is with the 101st Airborne Rakkasans, Headquarters Company, 1st Battalion 187th Infantry of the Army.  His family here in Portland includes his sister, Amanda Murdock, and his parents, Tom and Tonja Murdock. Christopher's father, Tom Murdock, is an Army disabled retired Vet from the Vietnam Era.

Joshua Murphy, IT2 US Navy, is with VQ2 Fleet Air Reconnaissance Squadron Two, Whidbey Island Washington.  He is currently on deployment in the Persian Gulf, and he has 7 years service currently.  Joshua re-enlisted in 2007 for six more years.

 Sgt. Randall Murrell has returned from a second term in Iraq. He and his wife, Sonja Baird-Merrell, have three children: Austin (5), Autumn (4) and AJ (3).  Sonja grew up in Portland.  The family is now stationed in Fort Sill, Oklahoma.

FC3 Jeffrey Alan Napier and is stationed aboard the USS Rodney M Davis in Everett, Washington.

Christopher Parker has been sent to Iraq. Please everyone remember him in your prayers. Christopher was born and raised in Portland. He graduated Portland High School May 20, 2005, and joined the Army June 02, 2005. He has one brother, Adam Parker, and his mom, Helen Ray, who reside in Portland.

Jason Peacher is now home with his family after serving in Iraq with the 278th.  Thanks, Jason!

Rikki (Medlock) Pedroza writes: "My husband, Sgt William J Pedroza II, is currently serving in the US Army active duty at Ft Campbell, Kentucky.  He will be returning to Iraq for his second tour in June 2007.  I have lived in Portland most of my life. I served in the US Army Reserve for 8 years. I was discharged in 12/2005 when my contract ended.    He is a transplant from California.  We live here with 4 of our 8 children.  I would like to ask for prayer of safety while he is gone on this 15 month  tour."

GM3 Michael Trey Pitt is currently serving in the Persian Gulf on the USS Carney, a destroyer ship. He is a 3rd Class Petty Officer in the US Navy. He deployed to the Gulf in November 2007 and should return June 2008, where he will be stationed in Mayport, Florida. Trey is a 2006 graduate of Portland High School. Trey's mother writes, "We are so very proud of him and all our brave men and women who stepped up when our Country called. May God Bless and be with you all. The Pitt Family."

Spc. Matt Shoulders is serving in Iraq with L Trp 3/278 Rct.   His wife Misty lives in Portland.

Jason Smith is now serving in Iraq with L TRP- 3/278th.  He has a wife Allison and two daughters, Brittany (5) and Abby (4) here in Portland.

David Andrew Sumner graduated Portland High in 2006 and joined the Navy on July 30, 2006, after scoring a 97 on his ASVAB test.  David has been in intensive schooling ever since and has completed A and C schooling as an “AT” which is an aviation technician and has just been promoted to 3^rd class Petty Officer status. He is in Norfolk, Virginia, where he has just completed “virtual simulation equipment repair” and is scheduled to head to Yokohama, Japan in April of 2008 for two years. David is working on his bachelor's degree in radar and sonar.

PFC Daniel Thompson of Portland is currently serving in Baghdad.  Daniel was deployed in July, 2007 and is a graduate of PHS.  His email address is jrdct88@yahoo.com.

Ben Thornton has returned to the States after serving in Iraq.

Nicholas Velotta is serving in Ankara, Turkey in the U.S. Navy.  Nicholas's wife Amber and 4-year-old son Justin recently moved to Portland.

MSgt. Chris Whitworth is a 1991 graduate of Portland High and has served in the military for 14 years.  Chris is currently stationed with the 118TH Airlift Wing in Nashville. His wife, Becky, and son Noah live in Mt. Juliet.

SSG Jeff L. Wilkerson is home after serving with the 617th Military Police in Iraq.  Thank you, Jeff!

Michael P. Willis is currently in Baghdad serving a year-long term that began back in June 2006. He is usually stationed in Ft. Lewis, Washington, with his wife Emily and three children.  Michael serves with 1-14 CAV Stryker Unit.

Daniel Wisby is serving in the Army with the 2-7 Infantry Battalion. He previously served one year in Iraq in 2005, and he is currently in preparation to return this January 2007. Daniel graduated from Portland in 2001.  He lives at Ft. Stewart, Georgia, with his wife (Michelle Willis-graduated Portland 2000) and two children.   Incidentally, Daniel is Michael Willis' [listed above] brother-in-law.

1SGT Brian D. Woodall, a 1987 graduate of PHS, is currently stationed in Venecia, Italy, with his family. He has served in Desert Storm, Afghanistan and Iraq. He was deployed again to Afghanistan in July 2007. He is the 1SGT for the 1/503rd ABN of the 173rd Airborne Brigade.
 

If anyone would like the name of a relative
who is serving in the military listed on the
Portland web site, please let Charlie know.  Thank you!

New Tourism Web Site!
We've put together a new web site of tourist attractions along Tennessee Highway 52 from I-65 through Portland, Westmoreland, Lafayette and Red Boiling Springs, then down to I-40 through Carthage.  Please take a look at the site: www.TN52.com.