VALDOSTA — With sandwiches, punch and speeches, a campaign office for Donald Trump’s presidential run opened Saturday morning in Valdosta.

Located at 3380 North Valdosta Road, the local office offers “all the paraphernalia,” including yard signs, bumper stickers and shirts, and a place where voters “can talk and ask questions about Trump,” said Barbara Schmader, Lowndes County manager for the Trump campaign.

Several dozen people were on hand as a brief ceremony was held, led by local businessman Roy Taylor, who offered a prayer and a few words of support for Trump.

“I don’t think the country has been in as bad a shape as it is now,” he said. Taylor claimed the current leadership is trying to destroy both the U.S. and the American military.

“This is an opportunity — it might be our last opportunity — to elect somebody who knows what he’s doing,” he said.

Retired Brig. Gen. Troy Tolbert, a former Air Force fighter pilot and wing commander at Moody AFB, also backed Trump verbally. He outlined several points of his support: getting out the vote, sending someone to D.C. who would “stir the pot” and ending the flow of illegal immigrants into the country.

The general said he sent a letter to Trump suggesting drones be used along the border to spot illegal immigrants, feeding info back to armed helicopters cleared to fire.

“We’re going to have to hurt some people to begin with,” he said, “but that helicopter is a deterrent.”

Terry Richards is senior reporter at The Valdosta Daily Times.