Reserve Unit coming home

[cajunguy]

Yahoo!!

The first 30 of the 100 members of the TOW Platoon, 23rd Marines, 4th MarDiv (South Louisiana Reserve unit) arrived home today after having been activated, and have served in and around Ramadi, Iraq for about the last seven months.

The remaining 70 are due back home within about two weeks. The contingent of 70 have been directly involved in the fighting in and around Fallujah.

Thank God, ZERO fatalities, and only two Marines injured. Those two Marines received fairly serious injuries, but both are home recovering and doing well.

Those Marines are going to receive one helluva welcome home party. A parade and shindig has been planned in their honor just as soon as they are all back home.

Outstanding job Marines, and welcome home.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v25/cajunguy/USMCflag.gif

[privatemeyers]

im from new iberia, laffeyette area and im glad they are safe and ill be at the parade

[cajunguy]

Well, they're all home.

The remainder of the reserve unit got home last Saturday. All of them made it back.

(Correction on my initial post - there were three injuries, not two. But they're all home and on the mend.)

Had a welcome home parade and ceremony for them today.

It was great. Weather was perfect. Large crowds were there to greet them. Everyone was enthusiastic about shaking hands, hugging, and telling the Marines "Thank you, and welcome home."

Some of the Marines almost seemed embarrassed that all of this fuss was being made for them. But as Marines, they did their best to "Improvise - adapt - overcome", and were very appreciative of the turnout.

One of the Marines sang the National Anthem, and one of our high school bands played the Marine's Hymm. As part of the ceremony, one of the Marines was awarded the Purple Heart for the injuries he received while in Iraq. (The other two had previously been awarded theirs.)

And then there were the damned politicians. The Governor, the mayor, and a couple of legislators. Slowed the parade down, acted like they were running for office, and acted like this parade was in THEIR honor, instead of for the Marines.

Despite them, it was still nice anyway.

Then the Marines returned (with police escort) to the training center, where it was open house and time to eat. The members of the Marine Corps League BBQ'd and cooked for about a thousand people.

(As an aside, I was also able to be reunited with a couple of Marines I had served with thirty-plus years ago, and had lost contact with. Glad I went today.)

All in all, it was a great day.

ONCE AGAIN - WELCOME HOME MARINES. OUTSTANDING JOB. SEMPER FI.