[04/02/03]After her husband was called to duty as part of Operation Iraqi Freedom, Cheryl Griffith Johnson thought someone should do something locally to show support for U.S. troops.

And she did.

In less than a month, Johnson has put together a rally to show support for the armed forces. It will be at 2 p.m. Saturday in the Crawford Street parking lot on downtown Washington Street.

“Whether you’re for the war or against the war, I hope everybody will come out and support our troops,” Johnson said.

She is also asking that people will put the names of family service members on a 6-foot by 3-foot banner to be kept on display after the rally. The program will include entertainment and speakers including Lt. Gov. Amy Tuck, Sen. Mike Chaney, R-Vicksburg, and Maj. Gen. Richard Coleman, commander of the U.S. Army 412th Engineer Command.

The event is free and open to the public.

“We’re telling everybody to bring a flag, bring a friend and bring a chair,” Johnson said.

For Johnson, the rally wasn’t just a way to show support for the troops, but also a way to keep her mind off of the dangers that could be facing her husband, Capt. Keith Johnson, a military policeman attached to the U.S. Army Central Command.

He was given orders Tuesday to deploy from Tampa Bay, Fla., to an “undisclosed location” in the next 24 hours.

Cheryl Johnson said she doesn’t know where that will be, but she has her ideas.

“We said our goodbyes on the phone last night because we don’t know if he will be able to call again,” she said.

As a military police officer, Capt. Johnson could take part in transporting and guarding Iraqi prisoners of war, help secure cities such as Basra in southern Iraq or other assignments.

“I can’t just sit and watch TV all day,” Cheryl Johnson said. “I become a nervous wreck.”

She said planning the rally helped keep her busy, but that she still worries about her husband and their two young sons, ages 3 years and 15 months. She is also expecting a third, possibly twins.

“I’m worried about how I’m going to go through nine months without the daddy here,” she said.

Johnson said her husband and other troops in his unit are excited about the rally and have asked her to send news clippings, pictures and a video from the rally.

Saturday’s rally won’t be the end of it for Johnson who said she would like to volunteer with the American Red Cross and start a family support group that meets weekly.

“We need something that is for all family members, no matter what branch they’re with,” she said.