When Johnny Comes Marching Home

I served three years in the Army and seventeen plus years in the National Guard. I retired from the Guards in 1991-92, somewhere around there. My former Guard unit has served in Kosovo and Iraq. In fact, to date, this unit has served longer in Iraq than any other military unit. On Saturday, the boys are coming home. They are in Fort McCoy WI right now getting their debriefing. But Saturday, they are coming home. There is a push for the people of this community to be out on the route to welcome them. I plan on being there. It's been over a decade since I've been one of them, and almost 40 years since I came home from Viet Nam, but there is a kinship there. We've been in it. We've seen it. Now I most likely haven't seen as much as they did as my Viet Nam tour was spent on an Army Airfield, and I spent 3 months in a hospital and recovery company in Japan, but I saw enough.

This unit was an infantry unit. I know the training was tough. When I first joined the Guards, summer camp was almost too easy. We would have each night off, and middle weekend was free. By the time I retired, it was different. We would get to Camp Ripley on Saturday and leave for the field on Sunday. We did not see the barracks again until the second Thursday. Training got serious. Now I know that it paid off for these guys. The unit will return with all personnel alive. There were a few wounded. Their job was convoy escort. They will have to take it slow now to readjust. We are going to have to take is slow to allow them to readjust. I know from experience that you don't just go from hard soldier to easy civilian overnight. So God Bless our boys. Do me a favor. If you read this...............say a prayer for the guys and their families that there will be few times of stress during this important transition.