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thedrifter
03-17-09, 07:18 AM
Back from Iraq

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March 17, 2009
By RYAN PAGELOW rpagelow@scn1.com

Hoping to surprise his family, Marine LCpl. Torrance Abrams Jr. of North Chicago returned home a day early last week from a tour of duty in Iraq. However, his parents and eight brothers and sisters weren't home.

"Nobody was expecting me to come home so they were going about their lives," said Abrams, 21, who was a gunner on a military truck in Al Anbar province for seven months.

Calling around, pretending he was still at a Marine base in North Carolina, he tracked down his mom at church to surprise her, then moved on to surprise his siblings at his brother's house, and finally the rest of the family back at home.

"It was such a relief when he said he was back," said his mother, Azie Abrams. "There has not been a quiet day in the house since he got back."

Since Wednesday, he's been stocking up on home-cooked meals such as mashed sweet potatoes, green beans, barbecue ribs, chicken and corn bread.

He heads back for more training at Camp Lejeune in North Carolina on Saturday.

On Monday night, the North Chicago City Council recognized Abrams at the beginning of the council meeting. Mayor Leon Rockingham Jr. read a proclamation that honored Abrams for "his service while in harms way" and welcomed him home.

"My hat's off to you, son," said Abrams' father, 5th Ward Ald. Torrance Abrams Sr.

Abrams Jr., a 2006 graduate of North Chicago High, said he wasn't expecting the hubbub from the city and encouraged the crowd to support their troops and send care packages.

"It really matters to know that someone cares," he said.

While in Iraq, Abrams worked with the Iraqi highway traffic patrol looking for improvised explosive devices.

This was Abrams' first tour of duty since he enlisted in the Marines in January 2007.

He will likely start a second tour of duty in Afghanistan around this time next year with an engineer-support battalion.

"I just trust God. He brought him through this," his mother said.

Ellie