Homecoming....

 

More than 400 soldiers came home to their families in Ansbach throughout the day yesterday.  In the Army we can releate to the saying, "Home is where your heart is. "

Here's some of the photos I took last night as the last wave came in at about 10:20 PM.  You can click on the smaller ones to see them better.  Most are blurry.  It was dark and the photographer was a little emotional.....  You can still see the joy.

Waiting:    Joe and Alex

Caitlyn

Mariana and Alex

WELCOME HOME 2/1 Aviation Fighting Eagles!

End of a long day:

End of a very long year....

Michelle, James, Amanda and Michael

Rich and Alex

LeeAnn and Brook (Caitlyn's in there somewhere)

Daniel saying hello to James

James, Michael and Amanda

It was a fantastic ending to a long and anxious day.  They came in about eight hours later than they were supposed to.  At about 4pm, I found out that Joseph misunderstood and thought Jeremy was also coming home .  He was devasted when I told him that Jeremy wouldn't be with all his friends' dads.   It took about an hour to console him but he was happy for his friends in the end.

Comments

[Carie Morrison]

Thank you so very much for sharing the homecoming photos... we so often forget the humongous sacrifice the soldiers' families make as well.

[jessica~]

Thank you so much for posting those pictures. It means so much to me to see soldiers come home to their families. *sigh* The all look so happy!

[Samantha]

Wow, that is awesome! It is so heartwarming to see all those happy people. Yay for homecoming!!! :)

[Wendy]

I'm over here crying a river. How wonderful to see such a fabulous reunion. Poor Joe, it must be so difficult to for him to understand. He looks thrilled in the pictures!

[Mary Beth]

Thanks for sharing this! You can feel the joy and relief in the photos - just great!

[Leah]

Jean, Thanks for the wonderful tribute. We tend to forget that for many of these soldiers, there is a family, that is making quite a sacrifice as well. Thank them all for the wonderful job they are doing, and so glad that this group has come home safely. Many more happy returns. Leah

[Benne]

Jean, Thank you for sharing the pictures of a wonderful homecoming. I am so moved by the sacrifices of our men their families, words fail me.

[bri]

Looks like quite a special evening. Thanks for sharing it! Bri

[Kathleen]

Such terrific photos. I remember the joy of my brother coming home for leave. Although he didn't fight in a war...he was a Navy Seal. Thanks for sharing such happy times. I hope Joseph is feeling better.

[BrendaS]

Wonderful Pictures.. I can't help but tear up when I see a soldier kissing his wife or holding his babies when he comes home from war. Darn hormones... now you've made me cry. LOL thanks for sharing!!

[janet]

Jean - those are wonderful pictures. Happy times. What a relief for those families. That is a wonderful antidote to a horrible article in the Irish Times this morning about a military man who boasted that "killing was fun"

[Nathania]

What a happy day! I just feel so for Joe, expecting Jeremy. I hope he gets his wish soon.

[Terby]

Thanks for sharing those, Jean. I'm always happy to see them come home and reunite with their families. It's a huge sacrifice to make, and I'm proud of them. May those still in danger be be kept safe.

[Nilda]

woo HOOO ! How absolutely grand. Thanks for posting these. Hope Jeremy will be in the next batch.

[caroline]

Jean, what wonderful pictures. thanks so much for sharing them. May those men (and women?) never be in harms way again. The pictures remind me of my friends Lora and Mac when Mac got home from the first Iraq war. They were air force out of Adana in Turkey. Anyway, thanks again and tell everyone that even those of us who despise the war and the president who got us into it, support the men and women who are fighting it and those waiting for them to come home. Hugs.

[Chris]

Wonderful to see, I have tears in my eyes right now. Well, now they are on my face.

[Kim]

Your pictures are wonderful........such happy faces!!

[Tori]

Jean, Wonderful Pictures! It helps give the rest of us a small inkling of what a sacrafice this must be for our troops and their families. On a knitting note....I LOVE the color of your Ballybrae. How does it seem now that you gave it a bath? ;-). I'd definitely use it again, but process it like you did first. Take care, Tori

[Tracy]

It's making me emotional just looking at the photographs. It's good to see so many happy people.

[Wendy G]

What a wonderful Homecoming for all of you!