Paris is a small town, so a turnout of 5,000 to welcome home the 1544th Transortation Co. (which acc. to the AP suffered the 2nd most fatalities of any guard unit in Operation Iraqi Freedom), is monumental.
An excerpt from the CBS 2 Chicago site:
Crowds stood up to 10-deep along flag-lined streets as three charter buses dropped off soldiers for the long-awaited homecoming. In desert camouflage, guardsman paraded past pole-mounted signs bearing all of their names as people cheered and cameras clicked.
Two fire department ladder trucks draped a massive flag across Main Street. ``They told us to expect a crowd, but I didn't expect anything like this,'' said Lt. John Harvey, 26. ``It's overwhelming.''
Lt. Gov. Pat Quinn said the event was the largest of the dozens of military farewells, homecomings and funerals he has attended since the war began two years ago.
Read here for the rest.
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