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Young Marines spokesman Butch Hoisington said 134 members of the 46th Quartermaster Company will leave for Iraq in March and his group is joining forces with the Veterans of Foreign Wars to purchase phone cards for the Guardsmen. "I've got a son in Iraq," said Hoisington, "and we bought him a phone card on the base before he left. It cost $25 for 12 minutes."

Hoisington said his group will mark Armed Forces Day with a Walk-A-Thon from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday at Rowden Park on M-24 across from Lapeer Regional Medical Center. He said the Young Marines have been meeting at the Lapeer National Guard Armory for near 15 years and "we just want to show our support."

"We're doing this in conjunction with the VFW's 'Operation Uplink,'" he said, adding, "We're trying to give people as many options as possible." He said people can walk the mile-long path themselves, make a pledge to a Young Marine or just stop by the park and make a tax-deductible donation.

For more information, call Hoisington at (810) 245-1955.