Virginia Guard holds ceremony to close Roanoke armory - Dec. 5, 2009

The Virginia National Guard armory in Roanoke was officially closed during a ceremony held Dec. 6. As part of the ceremony, 1st Lt. Barbara Jackson, commander of Company E, 429th Brigade Support Battalion, presented 1st Lt. Aaron Wallace of the 1st Battalion, 116th Infantry Regiment, 116th Brigade Combat Team with the last United States flag flown over the armory as well as the armory’s time capsule. The Roanoke armory was the home station for 1st Battalion until 2005, and the items will be placed in the unit’s historical collection. Retired Sgt. 1st Class L. Wilkes was the guest speaker for the ceremony, and he told the crowd of his experiences in the armory when it first opened in 1955. Brig. Gen. Stephen L. Huxtable, the Assistant Adjutant General of Virginia – Army, presented Wilkes with a coin in recognition of his many years of service.