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thedrifter
08-22-08, 05:36 AM
Grand welcome planned for six Southwest Side Marines
August 22, 2008

BY WILLIAM LEE, staff writer


When Marine Cpl. Mike Hughes and five of his fellow Southwest Side Marines return home from Iraq on Saturday, they'll get a eyeful of just what local business owners think of them.

The message: Thank you.

Hughes and members of Marine Reserve Unit 2/24 Weapons Company are scheduled to arrive at Midway Airport at 9:15 a.m. Saturday and will meet and greet family and friends in an event at the Allstate Arena in Rosemont about 11:30 a.m.

About 25 members of Hughes family will attend the welcome-home ceremony for the Marine battalion nicknamed the "Silent Ghosts."

At least a dozen businesses in the Beverly, Mount Greenwood and Morgan Park communities are leaving messages of support on their windows and marquees for Hughes and the five other Marines.

"We're just trying to show appreciation for what the men and women have been doing overseas," said John Kern, manager of Pop's Beef, 10337 Kedzie Ave.

The idea of a public thank-you came from a friend of the Hughes family. Word quickly spread, and many businesses eagerly got into the act.

"The support from our neighborhood is overwhelming," said Hughes' older sister, Maggie. "Overall, the whole eight months (her brother has been in Iraq) has been rough and sometimes unhappy, but the support he gets from everyone else is comforting and it's very exciting. It's probably the most excited we've been, ever!"

Hughes, a 2005 Brother Rice High School graduate, enlisted in December 2005 along with childhood friends and neighbors, Jim Kelly and Bob Carroll. All three will return home at the same time.

"I can't talk about it without crying, I couldn't be prouder," Hughes' father, also named Mike, said. "He's my Marine, he's my hero, but he's still the little kid who I taught to throw a curveball."

William Lee can be reached at wlee@southtownstar.com or (708) 633-6747.

Ellie