Families eagerly gathered at the Reserve center in Salt Lake City from which the Marines were based. The local Marine Corps League served hamburgers and hot dogs, while families placed their welcome homes signs on the fence, chatted with one another, and nervously paced, while awaiting the arrival of their loved ones.
Meanwhile, about 25 miles to the south, the Patriot Guard Riders were staged and ready to assume escort duty of the returning Marines. The PGR are a group of motorcycle riders who often ride escort for military funerals. Whenever possible, they gladly ride in honor of those returning home from war.
When two large white buses transporting the Marines from Camp Pendleton in Southern California neared their location, the PRG prepared to ride. The Utah Highway Patrol with lights and sirens on, assumed the lead position, followed by the Marines, and the Patriot Guard bringing up the rear. The PGR had been instructed by UHP to block each freeway lane so traffic could not interfere with the procession.
Periodic updates on the Marine’s location raised excitement among the waiting families. One mother, Silvia Ellsworth showed obvious signs of nervousness and excitement. She could not seem to relax as she waited for her son to arrive.
The many months her son Randal had been in Iraq and in harm’s way had weighed heavy upon her. She received weekly emails and occasional phone calls from her son, but holding him in her arms was all she wanted.
The sirens from the escorting law enforcement drew closer. Then, they were there! Police motorcycles, two large white buses and about 25 Patriot Guard Riders pulled into Ft. Douglas and in front of the waiting families.
The Marines exited the buses and quickly went into the reserve center leaving the anxious family members watching, but unable to get that first hug until some brief duty was completed inside the center.
Families and friends, still anxiously waiting moved to the gym on the lower level of the building and waited. Finally, two Marines emerged from the office into the gym and the crowd erupted in cheers. The Marines descended the stairs into the arms of their loved ones. Then, they waited. After several minutes two more Marines made the same trek to loud cheers and clapping. Finally, LCpl. Ellsworth started down the stairs that led from the office to the gym floor. But he only made it part way before his mom Silva ran up the stairs and threw her arms around her son. After a warm and emotional embrace, Silvia wiped away tears of joy and they made their way down the stairs together, with the crowd still cheering.
The joy and excitement was felt by all who were there as each Marine reunited with their loved ones……. wives and children, fiancés, parents, siblings, grandparents and friends.
LCpl. Ellsworth talked about their mission in Iraq. He spent most of his time on a small outpost outside Ramadi where he built close friendships with the other Marines. While there, they helped train Iraqi security forces and provided humanitarian support for local Iraqis. When asked, he said “the heat about July and August was pretty bad”, as temperatures reach 140 degrees in Iraq. But LCpl. Ellsworth offered no complaints. The smile on his face seemed to make the hardships of the deployment fade away.
Even to an onlooker, the joy of the evening was contagious. The long separation from loved ones and the hardship of an Iraq deployment was over and all had returned.
I was happy to be part of this joyous evening and happy reunion, although I had been nervous about attending. I too am the mom of a Marine. I gave my son a last big hug and kiss as he boarded the bus and left for his Iraq deployment from California three years earlier. But I never experienced the joy of his homecoming like the families of Fox Company did that evening, as my son became a casualty of the Iraq war.
But for a brief moment, I allowed myself to imagine that it was my son walking down those stairs…. In my mind I saw the smile on his face, the twinkle in his eyes, the uniform he wore and the pack on his back. But I only indulged in that thought for a moment and realized just how happy I was to be celebrating the safe return of these Marines.
It had been a great afternoon and evening at Ft Douglas. For the Marines and families of Fox Company, life was good again.
LCpl.Randal Ellsworth
