Marine Corps News Room

http://www.timesfreepress.com/absolutenm/templates/local.aspx?articleid=14221&zoneid=77

Sunday, April 22, 2007

By Mary Fortune
Staff Writer

"It's kind of weird. It's crazy being home," he said, looking around. Then he repeated the word slowly, nearly whispering: "Home."

The 22-year-old is one of 29 Marines in the Chattanooga-based Mike Battery, 3rd Battalion, 14th Marine Regiment, who returned from seven months of service in Iraq on Saturday.

For hours before the bus arrived carrying the Marines from Camp Lejune, N.C., friends and family from across the region crowded the grass and the parking lot around the Marine Reserve Center on Amnicola Highway.

The roadsides and parking lot were decked in signs, balloons and banners welcoming the Marines home. People waited under shade trees and tents they had brought, tending babies and clutching cell phones as the bus carrying their Marines made its way down the interstate. The bus left Camp Lejune at 5 a.m. and arrived at the Riverpark more than 10 hours later, escorted by police and Patriot Guard motorcycles.

Everyone who waited had a story:

Jamie Dean, 20, will marry her fiancé, Lance Cpl. James Olmeda, on Aug. 25. He proposed the week before he left for Iraq.

Carrie Byrne was behind an effort to get signs bearing the name of her son, Lance Cpl. Justin Schultz, hung all over the area -- including on an overpass above Amnicola Highway.

Lance Cpl. Schultz's sister, Lindsey Harp, got married in October while her brother was still away. "He was supposed to be the best man," she said.

Terri Williams has two sons in the Marine Corps. Her 20-year-old, Lance Cpl. Kevin Williams, came home Saturday. Waiting with her was her 19-year-old son, Lance Cpl. Bryan Williams.

"I'm the happiest you could ever be," she said, both her sons at her side.

The day of homecoming was difficult, however, for Robin Patterson. Her son, Lance Cpl. Kristopher Cody Warren, 19, was killed in November during his service in the Anbar province of Iraq.

Mrs. Patterson brought her 3-month-old son, Dylan, to the homecoming. Lance Cpl. Warren had told his mother during a phone call from Iraq that he wanted his baby brother to be named Dylan. The baby was born two months after his big brother died.

"It's very hard to be here," Mrs. Patterson said. "Cody would have wanted me to."

As the Marines stepped off the bus into the waiting crowd, she handed each of them a rose and told them she was Cody's mom. Many of them embraced her as she wept.

Lance Cpl. Morgan's mother, Debbie Morgan, said she worried constantly about her son while he was gone -- and about all the men and women in harm's way.

"Every time there's a fallen soldier, they belong to someone," she said.

Lance Cpl. Morgan said he conducted more than 347 convoys and patrols during his time in Iraq, and twice his forward operating base was hit by vehicle-borne improvised explosive devices.

"I had a chance to prove myself, and I stood up to the plate when things went bad, and when things were good I was still there, too," he said.

Lance Cpl. Morgan said he hopes to return to Iraq.

"You want them to have what we have here," he said.

His wife, Tiffany Morgan, 21, said she'll support her husband "in whatever he wants to do." Then she paused and lowered her voice. "But I'm going to try to talk him out of it."

Lance Cpl. Cody Michelena, 21, said he also hopes to return to Iraq.

"It's kind of hard to explain," he said. "It's a gift to be in the military and do what we do."

And, he said, pointing to his best friend, Lance Cpl. Morgan, "Me and him are good at it."