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thedrifter
03-18-07, 08:35 AM
Sunday MARCH 18, 2007 Last modified:
Saturday, March 17, 2007 9:34 PM PDT

Marines land: ‘Double trouble' return home to heroes' welcome

By ALICE POPOVICI/The Daily News

BULLHEAD CITY - More than 100 people waving American flags and holding signs lined the driveway of the Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 10005 Saturday afternoon to welcome Cpl. Christopher Conner and Sgt. Christopher Ruggles, two Marines returning home for a visit.

“Welcome, double trouble,” read one of the greetings to the two friends who spent their childhood riding bikes, swimming and playing Pop Warner football when they weren't “causing trouble.”

“We call them double trouble because it's the two terrible Chrises,” said Robin Bell, Conner's mother. “Anything they wanted to they tried to get away with.”

Community members, members of the VFW, Patriot Guard Riders, the First Marine Division Auxiliary, the Vietnam Veterans of America, Chapter 975, the VFW Ladies Auxiliary, the Red Baseball Hats, Bullhead City officials as well as fire and police department representatives gathered to shake hands with the Marines and express their gratitude.

Conner and Ruggles said the celebration was a surprise and they are glad everyone came out to support them.

“I have a lot of respect for everyone here,” Ruggles said. “They all see us as heroes, but I see them as heroes.”

The welcome party was organized by the Bullhead Patriots, an organization founded in September by Heather Ching and her father, Rich Poliska, to support members of the U.S. military.

“This is important for communities,” Poliska said. He was one of many Vietnam veterans returning home who never received a proper welcome - it was quite the opposite, he said.

“While we can't go back and correct what happened in the 1960s and 1970s, what we can do is make sure it doesn't happen to another generation.”

He would like the organization to fill a patriotic void not only in the Tri-state, but nationwide.

And as a result of a recent article on the front page of the New York Times, people are starting to take notice.

Poliska said he has received a donation from a well-known actor as well as spoken to a filmmaker about a possible documentary featuring a local Marine.

“We send our boys away (and) we've got to welcome them back because they give up their youth, they give up their innocence,” said Marlyse Lacey, sitting on the back of her truck next to American flags and a red, white and blue sign.

“I'm just happy to be here,” she said. “Our country's been too many years without having patriots.”

Ellie