thedrifter
10-20-08, 09:03 AM
‘This one was the hardest’
Comments 2 | Recommend 2
Marines welcomed home from Afghanistan
October 19, 2008 - 9:24PM
Sue Book
Sun Journal Staff
Waiting for Marines to return home never gets easy.
Havelock's Sally Young knows the feeling all too well. Sunday marked 18 times, and as is her tradition, she brought a yellow rose for husband David Young.
Sally has been separated from David for 14 of his nearly 28 years in the Corps. "This one was the hardest," said Sally, eyes welling up.
"I am so nervous, excited, happy, like a little girl," she said as she waited with one of their three daughters, two of three grandchildren, and some friends.
The mood became joyous when U.S. Airways flight 2276 brought 26 members of MCAS Cherry Point's VMGR 252 safely home at Coastal Carolina Regional Airport.
Traveling non-stop for two days, the members of Otis Squadron were welcomed from an eight-month duty tour in Afghanistan by family and friends. A reception organized by Cherry Point Family Readiness worker Roxie Emunsh greeted the Marines as they made their way into the airport.
It included 21 members of the 2nd Marine Air Wing Band, first playing jazz for the families.
"This is the least we can do," said Sgt. Shawn Raymond, assistant enlisted conductor, who has played for more than 300 returns.
Those returning included at least one sailor, Navy HM2 Patrick Allison, a hospital corpsman, returning from his third deployment since 2004.
He worked in casualty evacuation of American and NATO troops from the front of the war which now involves nearly 80,000 U.S. troops in the country slightly smaller than Texas and with a population of about 32 million.
Allison said it was "pretty common" to bring back injured, as often as twice a week on his shift. It is real war.
Otis Squadron is the oldest continually active squadron at Cherry Point and was deployed in support of the 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit, said Lt. Col. Robert P. Cote, commanding officer of the over 400-member squadron.
Cote said some of the squadron has been continually deployed since 2005 for an assortment of tasks including aero refueling and logistics.
"It was definitely mission accomplished," said Cote, who checked in on them personally in Afghanistan in June. "They did a lot of things behind the scenes and were an essential part of making the MEU capable of doing its job."
Lt. Col. Ed Lang, squadron executive officer, said, "They were given just two months to ready for the mission. Obviously, that made it a challenge."
They all came home.
But U.S. losses are unofficially 1,200 dead and 7,000 injured in the war in Afghanistan, which began shortly after 9/11 in retaliation for the Taliban harboring Osama Bin Laden.
When the plane's landing was announced, a cheer went up. The crowd moved to the door. And the band played "Battle Cry of Freedom," "God Bless America" and "This is My Country" for the returning Marines as they walked in.
There were hugs all around, and handshakes, and no time wasted getting bags and getting on the road home.
Ellie
Comments 2 | Recommend 2
Marines welcomed home from Afghanistan
October 19, 2008 - 9:24PM
Sue Book
Sun Journal Staff
Waiting for Marines to return home never gets easy.
Havelock's Sally Young knows the feeling all too well. Sunday marked 18 times, and as is her tradition, she brought a yellow rose for husband David Young.
Sally has been separated from David for 14 of his nearly 28 years in the Corps. "This one was the hardest," said Sally, eyes welling up.
"I am so nervous, excited, happy, like a little girl," she said as she waited with one of their three daughters, two of three grandchildren, and some friends.
The mood became joyous when U.S. Airways flight 2276 brought 26 members of MCAS Cherry Point's VMGR 252 safely home at Coastal Carolina Regional Airport.
Traveling non-stop for two days, the members of Otis Squadron were welcomed from an eight-month duty tour in Afghanistan by family and friends. A reception organized by Cherry Point Family Readiness worker Roxie Emunsh greeted the Marines as they made their way into the airport.
It included 21 members of the 2nd Marine Air Wing Band, first playing jazz for the families.
"This is the least we can do," said Sgt. Shawn Raymond, assistant enlisted conductor, who has played for more than 300 returns.
Those returning included at least one sailor, Navy HM2 Patrick Allison, a hospital corpsman, returning from his third deployment since 2004.
He worked in casualty evacuation of American and NATO troops from the front of the war which now involves nearly 80,000 U.S. troops in the country slightly smaller than Texas and with a population of about 32 million.
Allison said it was "pretty common" to bring back injured, as often as twice a week on his shift. It is real war.
Otis Squadron is the oldest continually active squadron at Cherry Point and was deployed in support of the 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit, said Lt. Col. Robert P. Cote, commanding officer of the over 400-member squadron.
Cote said some of the squadron has been continually deployed since 2005 for an assortment of tasks including aero refueling and logistics.
"It was definitely mission accomplished," said Cote, who checked in on them personally in Afghanistan in June. "They did a lot of things behind the scenes and were an essential part of making the MEU capable of doing its job."
Lt. Col. Ed Lang, squadron executive officer, said, "They were given just two months to ready for the mission. Obviously, that made it a challenge."
They all came home.
But U.S. losses are unofficially 1,200 dead and 7,000 injured in the war in Afghanistan, which began shortly after 9/11 in retaliation for the Taliban harboring Osama Bin Laden.
When the plane's landing was announced, a cheer went up. The crowd moved to the door. And the band played "Battle Cry of Freedom," "God Bless America" and "This is My Country" for the returning Marines as they walked in.
There were hugs all around, and handshakes, and no time wasted getting bags and getting on the road home.
Ellie