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Soldiers return to warm family welcome

May-31-2008 » Filed Under: 4/2 SBCT

Another 4/2 SBCT unit arrived home today. Be sure to see the accompanying photo slide show.

By HECTOR CASTRO, Seattle P-I

The brass band played, the crowd cheered and some cried as soldiers returning from tours in Iraq marched into Fort Lewis' Soldier Field House Saturday morning.

The balloons, flags, and posters filling the auditorium were to celebrate the homecoming of the Washington Army National Guard's 1/168 General Support Aviation Battalion after a year-long deployment to Iraq.

"The great thing is we left with 162 people and we came back with 162 people," said supply Sgt. William Clardy, who arrived into the arms of his wife, Davina, and their four young daughters.

Also returning Saturday were roughly 200 soldiers with the 4th Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division after a 15-month deployment to Iraq.

Christina Clark, herself a soldier in the 23rd Chemical Battalion at Fort Lewis, was there to greet her fiance, Sgt. James Grady, a member of the Stryker unit, bringing along with her their dog, Chunk.

Just before the welcoming ceremony began, the brass band started up and an announcer told the audience the soldiers would enter in another five minutes.

Clark clenched her fists, willing herself to wait.

"It's killing me," she said.

The strains of "When Johnny Comes Marching Home" began, the soldiers marched smartly into the auditorium and the crowd of family, friends, and other well-wishers erupted into cheers. [...]


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