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Specialist
Jeremy Connelly
Greeted On Return From Iraq
Welcome Returning
Soldiers From Iraq |
It was thirteen
months since I first met Army Specialist Jeremy Connelly from Indiana.
Specialist Connelly was heading to Iraq in June, 2007 for a thirteen month
deployment. His flight brought him to Pease International Tradeport
for
refueling before heading overseas. I, along with my wife Hellen, are
members of what are known as Pease
Greeters. We have been greeting
planes since March of 2007 having met over 75 flights. When Spec.
Connelly's flight came through last year he made a point to tell me that he
had served with the Blackhorse at Ft. Irwin and was deployed to Iraq when the
11th ACR was sent there. When exiting the
airport terminal, Specialist Connelly tore from his right sleeve a subdued
Blackhorse patch and gave it to me. I thanked him and told him that I
would treasure it forever.
Little could I have known that thirteen months later
Specialist Connelly would return home through Pease. He saw my
Blackhorse tee shirt and asked if I remembered him. I said that I did
and reminded him that he gave me a Blackhorse patch. He said he
remembered the moment and I told him how much his gesture meant to me.
We were able to share a little over an hour together before he and his fellow
soldiers boarded their flight for their return home with a stop first at Ft.
Benning and then on to Ft. Lewis.
It is moments like these that make our efforts to
welcome our heroes home so much more rewarding. Men and women like
Jeremy are our American heroes and they deserve all of our love and support.
