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Soldiers visit their adopted hometown

Jan-11-2007 » Filed Under: 172nd SBCT

JUSTIN JUOZAPAVICIUS, Associated Press

GUYMON, Okla. - They hailed from Arkansas, Iowa, New York and Chicago, but for one week at least, these Army buddies considered Guymon home.

They were nine battalion members who made a pact to return here months after they buried their best friend, Guymon native Joshua Pearce, who was killed by a roadside bomb explosion while they served a tour in Iraq. Pearce died two months before he was to return home.

This Panhandle town of 11,000 opened its doors to them, providing free hotel rooms, meals and a reception, and decking out businesses with American flags.

"It feels like family here; it's almost like we're royalty," said Sgt. Matthew Madera, of Chicago. "Just for something we've volunteered to do."

His buddy, Specialist B.J. Pierce, who was from Arkansas, marveled: "Nobody knows you, but they support you like they do know you."

Tuesday, a day before the group was to disband, they were treated to a breakfast of grits, eggs, bacon and biscuits and gravy at a local cell phone store. Residents and store customers came in to shake hands and thank the soldiers for their service.

"We wanted to make this group feel more welcome than they've ever been," said Andrea Coleman, with Epic Touch of Guymon, which helped sponsor Tuesday's reception.

Over plates of scrambled eggs, the men, members of the 172nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team stationed at Fort Wainwright, Alaska, sat around a table in the back of the store and talked about why they came back: their friend Joshua. [...]


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