It was a big welcoming home reception Thursday for members of the 724th Transportation Reserve Unit in Bartonville back from deployment to Iraq.
Some the soldiers got more than they expected during the celebration this afternoon.
The celebration could be seen all throughout the area as members of the 724th Transportation Unit were welcomed back to Central Illinois.
Members of the East Peoria Fire Department greeted them on an overpass above Interstate 74.
The Patriot guard led the convoy that rolled into the reserve center in Bartonville around 12-thirty Thursday afternoon.
Several cheers from Family and friends followed as the soldiers marched to the front for a brief ceremony
It's been one year since Marie Haines saw her son Sergeant Chris Haines. She says even though it was his third deployment.. it's still not easy.
"His first deployment was the hardest cause he was 19 years old, so it's been 20 years later," said Haines' mother Marie.
39-year old Haines put off a visit home to Washington over the past year, letting his troops visit their families instead. Now that he's finally home.. He says he did not expect such a big reception.
"It was great. Last time we got something like that was Desert Storm, coming into Fort Hood Texas. A lot of Vietnam Vets made that possible for us and you see a lot of the same people from out here from Bartonville and the Peoria area doing the same thing to make sure we get the same treatment," Sgt. Haines said.
"We've kept in contact so it's been okay throughout the year but there's been times where they go on missions where you just don't hear anything for a couple of days and it's very nerve wracking," said a friend of Haines Krista Melton.
For Peorian Jacoby Wilson it was the first deployment and tough being away from his Grandmother Octavia Ivy.
We tried to keep busy and everything. We made it through," Ivy said.
"I didn't know what to expect since it was my first deployment but I just had to roll with it once I got over there. I adapted to it came back home safe," Specialist Wilson said.
Safe is the sentiment shared by many of troops here including families, relatives and friends.
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