1544th gets red-carpet welcome

February 24, 2005
By TOM OSBORNE

A cold, overcast February day could do little to curb in enthusiasm on the streets of Paris Tuesday as the town awaited the return of the 1544th Illinois National Guard Unit after a 15-month tour of duty in Iraq.

Nearly 5,000 people braved the blustery condition to welcome home loved ones many had not seen in several months. Children held signs for their daddy, parents wore buttons with their children's picture and red, white and blue ribbons and balloons were everywhere.

The anticipation and joy in the air was tempered by knowledge some of the soldiers did not make it to this day. Those fallen soldiers were very much on everyone's mind.

"We've shared our highs and our lows together, all the families of these soldiers," Charles Miller, father of Justin Miller of Oblong said. "We're grateful to have Justin home, but there also is some guilt remembering not all of these soldiers made it home and thinking that could have been our son."

Five soldiers - Sgt. Ivory L. Phillips, Sgt. Jeremy L. Ridlen, Sgt. Shawna Morrison, Spc. Charles Lam and Spc. Jessica L. Cawvey - did not return, killed either by mortar attacks or roadside bombs. They accounted for half of all Illinois Army National Guard fatalities in Iraq .

But this was not a day to dwell on the dead. This was a day for tear-filled, joyful reunions.

Almost as if scripted, the sun managed to peek from behind the clouds for just a few moments as the announcement was made the buses carrying the citizen soldiers had pulled into the high school.

People began straining for a glimpse down the street as the soldiers marched in formation from the high school to the town square and even though their loved ones were only a few blocks away, it still felt like a million miles to many gathered in the crowd.

"This past year has been unlike anything I've ever been through in my life," Nancy Carter of Robinson said. Carter sent two sons, Brady and Adam, with the 1544th to Iraq . "It has been difficult, but it has been an experience that I think will make us all better people."

During their 16-months stationed in Iraq , members of the 1544th endured more than 100 mortar attacks, 60 direct fire engagements and had driven more than 580,000 miles transporting ammunition and supplies through hostile territory. The unit was been awarded 30 purple hearts. According to military officials, the unit of about 160 members had suffered more deaths and injuries than any other National Guard company in the nation.

Dignitaries including Illinois Lieutenant Governor Pat Quinn, U.S. Senator Dick Durbin, Congressman Tim Johnson, State Senator Dale Righter and State Representatives Chapin Rose and Roger Eddy were among those on hand to welcome the soldiers home.

"Throughout our history, brave men and women have sacrificed everything for our safety," Quinn said. "Our nation owes the men and women of the 1544th a debt of gratitude and I am thankful for their return home. Even as we celebrate the return of the soldiers of the 1544th, our joy is tempered by the memory of those we have lost."

According to Quinn's spokesperson LaDawn Burnett, there are 5,934 Illinois reservists and guardsmen currently serving on active duty.

"What an outpouring of gratitude and love we are seeing here today," Senator Durbin said. "We are seeing everyone from seniors in wheelchairs to kindergartners waving flags to welcome these soldiers home. What a tremendous display of gratitude."

Congressman Johnson echoed Durbin's sentiments adding, "I'm so proud of all the people who came out today to show their support for these soldiers," Johnson said. "It makes me especially proud to serve this area in congress."

People began lining the streets of Paris between the high school and the town square by 10:30 a.m. , braving the falling temperatures to get the best view of the soldiers. The coffee shops and stores along the square were buzzing with excitement as reports coming in told people how close the buses were to the town.

"It's been rocky for our family not knowing from one day to the next how Kevin was doing," Kevin Shewey's aunt Debbie Wilson of Paris said. "All of our families have been through so much and we're just so glad to have them home."

Soldiers from Crawford County were treated to a second celebration as they piled on a fire truck to be driven down Main Street and around the square to wave at all the people who turned out to welcome them back to Crawford County .

Although their service in Iraq has been completed, the soldiers now face the task of re-adjusting to life among their families and friends. Most are planning to spend a few quiet weeks reconnecting with the people they know. Some, like Justin Miller and his wife Amanda are planning vacations to start their lives together again.

"His family has just been overwhelmed," Charles Miller said. "We're just ready to have him home, ready to get back to our lives."