thedrifter
03-05-06, 10:54 AM
Happy to be home
Reservists welcomed back after six-month tour in Iraq
Sunday, March 5, 2006
BY KATE HAWLEY
OF THE JOURNAL STAR
GROVELAND -The recreation hall at Cornerstone Baptist Church was awash in Americana - red, white and blue balloons floated overhead, flags and bunting hung from the balcony, and a smiling woman served slices of cake decorated to look like an American flag.
It was a world away from the desert of western Iraq.
"It's a weird feeling, coming home," said Lance Cpl. Eric Day, 21, of Gibson City, as friends and family swarmed around him, angling in for a hug or a handshake. "I'm taking it day by day."
"But it's definitely a great feeling," he added.
Day was one of six Marine reservists from the Peoria County-based Company C, 6th Engineering Battalion who arrived home Wednesday night after a six-month tour in Iraq.
They celebrated their return Saturday at the Groveland church.
All of the Marines are lance corporals. Day; Jared
Rowell, 29, of Morton; Jared Litwiller, 20, of Delavan; and George Roach, 23, of Washington, mingled with friends, family and well-wishers. Jeremiah Busboom of Rantoul and Clayton Barnes of Mattoon had not yet arrived.
In Iraq, they drove food, water and ammunition in armored trucks from the Al Asad Air Force Base to combat troops.
They traveled back and forth through the deserts of al-Anbar province, "nothing but sand, dust and cliffs," Day said. Now and again they passed through a village with houses in disrepair and trash strewn in the streets. "It was hard to see how people live," he said. "Most people gave us thumbs up, happy to see you."
Roach said he was on security company, a job he described as "very, very stressful." He rode in the lead truck, and was responsible for finding roadside explosives. Sometimes the only clue was a red wire sticking out of the sand, he said.
The risks were significant: In December 2004, only a few months before Roach's unit left for Iraq, five Peoria County-based Marine reservists from Company C, 6th Engineer Support Battalion were wounded when a suicide bomber detonated a car full of explosives, setting their truck on fire.
As a company, Rowell estimated that they'd traveled more than 480,000 miles.
"It's great to be home," he said, casting an eye over the festivities. "I'm still trying to relax and get into civilian mode."
He stood next to his wife, Kim, who arranged the party.
She endured her husband's first tour in Iraq with the help of friends and family, she said. "I have two young kids. And we just took it a day at a time. And just a lot of prayer."
Marlene Wilson of Morton, a member of the church, crossed the room on her way to restock a sandwich tray. "The old ladies, we like to be a mother hen to Kim while her husband is gone," she said.
Rowell said being separated from his son Joel, 7, and daughter Bethany, 6, was the hardest part of being away.
"My heart was pounding when I got off the plane," he said. "Just the anticipation of seeing them and holding them."
There was relatively little combat during their tour, the Marines said.
Still, said Litwiller, they remained vigilant. "Every time you leave the convoy or the base, you worry."
"The six of us, we all got lucky," he said. "We're home, and that's the important thing."
Kate Hawley can be reached at 686-3114 or khawley@pjstar.com.
Ellie
Reservists welcomed back after six-month tour in Iraq
Sunday, March 5, 2006
BY KATE HAWLEY
OF THE JOURNAL STAR
GROVELAND -The recreation hall at Cornerstone Baptist Church was awash in Americana - red, white and blue balloons floated overhead, flags and bunting hung from the balcony, and a smiling woman served slices of cake decorated to look like an American flag.
It was a world away from the desert of western Iraq.
"It's a weird feeling, coming home," said Lance Cpl. Eric Day, 21, of Gibson City, as friends and family swarmed around him, angling in for a hug or a handshake. "I'm taking it day by day."
"But it's definitely a great feeling," he added.
Day was one of six Marine reservists from the Peoria County-based Company C, 6th Engineering Battalion who arrived home Wednesday night after a six-month tour in Iraq.
They celebrated their return Saturday at the Groveland church.
All of the Marines are lance corporals. Day; Jared
Rowell, 29, of Morton; Jared Litwiller, 20, of Delavan; and George Roach, 23, of Washington, mingled with friends, family and well-wishers. Jeremiah Busboom of Rantoul and Clayton Barnes of Mattoon had not yet arrived.
In Iraq, they drove food, water and ammunition in armored trucks from the Al Asad Air Force Base to combat troops.
They traveled back and forth through the deserts of al-Anbar province, "nothing but sand, dust and cliffs," Day said. Now and again they passed through a village with houses in disrepair and trash strewn in the streets. "It was hard to see how people live," he said. "Most people gave us thumbs up, happy to see you."
Roach said he was on security company, a job he described as "very, very stressful." He rode in the lead truck, and was responsible for finding roadside explosives. Sometimes the only clue was a red wire sticking out of the sand, he said.
The risks were significant: In December 2004, only a few months before Roach's unit left for Iraq, five Peoria County-based Marine reservists from Company C, 6th Engineer Support Battalion were wounded when a suicide bomber detonated a car full of explosives, setting their truck on fire.
As a company, Rowell estimated that they'd traveled more than 480,000 miles.
"It's great to be home," he said, casting an eye over the festivities. "I'm still trying to relax and get into civilian mode."
He stood next to his wife, Kim, who arranged the party.
She endured her husband's first tour in Iraq with the help of friends and family, she said. "I have two young kids. And we just took it a day at a time. And just a lot of prayer."
Marlene Wilson of Morton, a member of the church, crossed the room on her way to restock a sandwich tray. "The old ladies, we like to be a mother hen to Kim while her husband is gone," she said.
Rowell said being separated from his son Joel, 7, and daughter Bethany, 6, was the hardest part of being away.
"My heart was pounding when I got off the plane," he said. "Just the anticipation of seeing them and holding them."
There was relatively little combat during their tour, the Marines said.
Still, said Litwiller, they remained vigilant. "Every time you leave the convoy or the base, you worry."
"The six of us, we all got lucky," he said. "We're home, and that's the important thing."
Kate Hawley can be reached at 686-3114 or khawley@pjstar.com.
Ellie