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thedrifter
04-07-07, 11:20 AM
Marine makes emotional return to base to welcome his platoon
After losing his legs in late October, 2nd Lt. Kinard meets with 'old friends'

By JASON SPENCER
(Spartanburg) Herald Journal

SPARTANBURG - It was an emotional reunion for Marine 2nd Lt. Andrew Kinard.

For the first time since a bomb blast robbed him of his legs in late October, Kinard was able to see and speak to the men who served with him in Iraq as his platoon returned in early April to Camp Lejeune, N.C., after a seven-month tour.

For Kinard, it was about closure and about a different chapter in his life coming to an end.

But also it's the achievement of another goal: Even his family was unsure he'd be physically able to make this trip.

But he did because he wanted to thank the returning men.

"I knew that my Marines were safe," Kinard said. "They're back home. That gives me a huge sense of relief. Now, I can say, 'Hey guys, well done.' They really did well. They performed great while they were in Iraq after I left. I was just really happy to hear from them, their different stories about their experiences."

Kinard said that he had "an indescribable feeling about how excited I am today, just getting to see my old friends."

It was happy chaos when the 270 troops from various arms of the 2nd Marine Division's 2nd Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalion rolled onto base after a seven-month deployment.

"The big thing about the reunion is to have a welcome home for everybody - both those who came back early and those who came back now. The ending deployment is when you come back and rebuild the team," Maj. John Polidoro said.

"It was definitely the closure that (Kinard) needed, that we needed - that his Marines needed," he said.

The teary-eyed reunion was a tug of war between painful emotions and joyful ones, as many of the men - even those who didn't know Kinard well - paid their respects while finding their families.

"I'm glad he's here," Staff Sgt. Chris Webb said. "He was so close to dying when that happened. And he pulled through."

The nonprofit Hope for the Warriors foundation orchestrated Kinard's trip. In the last few days, he received a new set of combat fatigues, complete with name tag and his rank insignia.

"For him to be surrounded by his Marines like this is probably the best medicine he could ever have," said Robin Kelleher, president of Hope for the Warriors.

"This is going to be a whole different atmosphere for him. It's about Andrew the Marine - not Andrew the wounded Marine," he said.