NATCHEZ &045; Saturday night was a typical weekend night in Natchez. A bar down the street bustling with people. Friends enjoying a lazy walk along the bluff, enjoying the sunset.

But in the midst of it all, more than 20 people huddled in the gazebo overlooking the Mississippi River, hands shielding the flickering flames of their candles against the wind.

To the onlooker, those gathered had little in common &045; grandmothers, grade-school children, a young man in a crew cut, another in a cowboy hat, young and old, black and white. But they all shared a common bond that brought them together Saturday night at the bluff.

Each of them has, or has had, a loved one in the military in Iraq, most of them among the more than 40 Guard members who left the Miss-Lou last year as part of the 155th Infantry. The young man in the crew cut? He’s back on leave, but is set to go back Monday.

With just a few left until Father’s Day &045; if they’re lucky, one marked by a phone conversation with their husbands, sons or fathers &045; they gathered for a candlelight vigil, giving their first thoughts.

Rhonda Rich, who led the vigil, was the first to speak out loud the wishes of everyone who would follow &045; that she hopes and believes the 155th and their fellow soldiers in Iraq will come home safe. With that, she touched her candle to the candle of the next person in line, passing on the light.

Priscilla Grady &045; whose husband is actually based with a unit out of Tylertown &045; told of her life with four children. One is bound for college soon; another recently had their grandchild.

Since her husband isn’t part of the 155th, Grady admitted she didn’t know many of the people at the vigil yet, but that didn’t faze her. &uot;God knows every one of their names,&uot; she said, noting that &uot;every one of them will be home before you know it.&uot;

Rhonda James-Brown, who was also there, credits her faith in God with keeping her going after the death of her son, Sgt. Henry L. Brown, who in 2003 became the only Natchezian who has died in Iraq.

And on Saturday, she passed that faith on to the others. &uot;My prayers go out, and my heart goes out, to these families,&uot; she said. &uot;Trust in God. They’re His children. And no matter what happens, we’ll spend eternity with them in heaven.&uot;

Down the line, Cole Rutherford noted in a closing prayer that &uot;this earth is just our temporary home.&uot;

Still, he prayed, &uot;that (God) will put a hedge of protection around&uot; the soldiers, including his brother, Spc. Adam Kirk of the 155th. Kirk, who left the talking largely to others during the vigil, is home on leave but will leave again Monday for Iraq.

&uot;We want him to come home (for good) with every single person he went over with&uot; as soon as possible said Kirk’s stepfather, George Rutherford. &uot;Yesterday would be fine.&uot;

Meanwhile, the candles kept burning. Rich said that to her, a candlelight ceremony was appropriate. &uot;Light represents hope Š and peace,&uot; she said. &uot;It’s a symbol of the warm welcome they’ll get when they come home to their families.&uot;