A homecoming for heroes

Marines receive rousing welcome home after serving temporary overseas assignments for Iraq War

Wednesday, Oct. 17, 2007

Click here to enlarge this photo Staff Photos by Gary Smith Jill, left, and Jane Pruitt join their family as members of the public welcome home Marines last Thursday from assignments in Iraq. More photos from the homecoming celebration can be found in the We Spotted photo galleries link at www.somdnews.com. E-Mail This Article | Print This Story Click here to enlarge this photo Sgt. Derek Schwartz, left, greets Sgt. William Rollins, Sgt. Michael D. Fiedtkou, Cpl. Cody Boudwin, Cpl. Gabriel Gonzales and Sgt. Zachary Cortez during a recent welcome home celebration for U.S. Marines in Indian Head.

In preparation for the celebration honoring military personnel returning from tours in Iraq, event organizers placed red and blue pom-poms, Uncle Sam top hats and New Year’s Eve-style noisemakers on chairs.

‘‘Oh, this was a bad idea,” a young Marine said, with a hint of unbridled glee before wildly swinging around the racket-making contraption.

Soon everyone was taking a whirl, increasing the clamor until people sitting shoulder-to-shoulder were shouting at each other just to be heard.

‘‘It was a little overwhelming,” said Cpl. Gabriel N. Gonzales, a native of Raymondville, Texas, who recently returned from Iraq to Lincoln Military Housing in Indian Head.

‘‘This small town of Indian Head is showing support for our base ... there are not a lot of Marines on our base,” Gonzales said. ‘‘It’s nice that I did my job and people back here appreciate it.”

The number of Marines and townspeople who showed up at the ceremony Thursday was proof that the community was thankful for the service of the eight men and one woman who were recognized.

The celebration was to welcome home individuals — who shipped out alone or with perhaps one other person — who are returning stateside after a tour in a war zone.

‘‘They are gone for six months, nine months or a year and they come back but they don’t deploy with a unit and there is not much fanfare,” said Capt. Neil C. Stubits, commander of the Indian Head Division of NAVSEA. ‘‘This is a fitting way to recognize the sacrifice they’ve made.”

Lincoln Military Housing has organized similar ‘‘welcome home” celebrations in Annapolis, Fort Belvoir and other military communities that the development and property management company oversees.

Many local and state officials stopped by to join the festivities which included four sheet cakes and cases of Mountain Dew.

Del. Peter F. Murphy (D-Charles); Charles County commissioners’ President F. Wayne Cooper (D); Indian Head Mayor Dennis Scheessele; Richard Myers, the Southern Maryland representative for U.S. Sen. Barbara A. Mikulski (D-Md.); and Hammad Matin, the Southern Maryland representative for U.S. Sen. Benjamin L. Cardin (D-Md.) made brief comments to the returning Marines.

In his invocation, K.C. James, chaplain of the Chemical⁄Biological Incident Response Force, said even in ancient times people took time to welcome returning soldiers.

‘‘We take time out to honor those who return from harm’s way,” James said.

‘‘This business we’re in — wearing the cloth of our nation — is very serious. Those that are called to serve and go into harm’s way are people who are asked to do the impossible and more often than not they get it done.

‘‘We honor the return of our loved ones, shipmates and fellow Marines who have returned to their loved ones, their friends and their families.”

E-mail Sara K. Taylor at staylor@somdnews.com.