Family and friends celebrated the return of the Madison-based Golf Company Marine division from Iraq Friday morning at Truax Field. Parents embraced their children while the Marines broke rank to hug and take reunion photographs. The Golf company was activated in 2004 and remained in Iraq for just shy of seven months.
Joe Foy, a marine in the 3rd Platoon, Golf Company, 2nd Battalion, defended the main supply route for coalition forces working in Iraq.
\We saw our share of combat between ambushes driving up and down the main supply route,"" Foy said.
When Foy stepped off of the plane home, one of 200 other soldiers to do so, to a warm welcome from his family and his girlfriend, he coined it as simply ""amazing.""
""Obviously everybody has the perfect image of what they wanted their homecoming to be,"" Foy said. ""All you do is think about flying home and getting off of that plane. I can't explain how great it was to know that it's finally the end.""
Foy stated that the most meaningful part of the ceremony was the appearance of Mayor Dave Cieslewicz and Gov. Jim Doyle. According to Foy, the soldiers were able to speak with both the Mayor and the Governor for a few minutes.
George Twigg, Mayor
Cieslewicz's spokesperson, said the Mayor has been to several of these welcoming ceremonies and believes it important to recognize our soldiers.
""It is a recognition of the many sacrifices that both the soldiers and their families have made,"" Twigg said. ""Whatever you think of the politics on what we're doing overseas, it's important to recognize what these people are doing for our country.""
Johns Keating, a retired soldier from the Navy, attended the ceremony to add to the welcome the soldiers said they felt. Keating believes the welcome ceremony to be very meaningful, considering the nation's welcome to soldier's from Vietnam.
""We're not looking down on our soldiers like in the '50s and the '60s,"" said Keating. ""It means a lot to them for us to be there.""
For a photo essay of the homecoming, click here.
