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15 soldiers back from Iraq reunited with families
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Posted on Jan 22 2006
The night was getting late and 5-year-old Junjun stood outside the arrival area of the Saipan International Airport, holding a banner to welcome the arrival of his cousin, Eric Sablan, who was among the CNMI soldiers who were deployed to Iraq.
Junjun flashed a smile and said he was happy that he would be seeing his cousin back home last Friday night.
Family members, relatives, and supporters of soldiers who were scheduled to arrive Saipan that night greeted the servicemen with a hero’s welcome, holding banners and colorful ribbons at the airport.
Fifteen soldiers arrived home, one of the biggest groups of local servicemen who came back after their tour of duty in Iraq. Military Veterans Affairs Office executive officer Ruth Coleman said about 47 out of nearly a hundred local soldiers who were deployed to Iraq have come back home.
She said two other soldiers were scheduled to arrive early Saturday morning, while another batch of military men would come home that night.
The homecoming became an emotion-packed event, as soldiers came out from the airport’s arrival gate one by one, some of them with family members and carrying their children. Relatives and supporters clapped and cheered as the soldiers exited the gate. They honored the soldiers with leis and warmly greeted the servicemen with tight hugs and tears of joy.
Soldier Dwight Pangelinan carried his four-year-old daughter Deyana when he exited the gate. “It’s great!” he said tersely, but the smile on his face clearly illustrated the joy he felt in coming back home.
Superior Court Associate Judge Ramona Manglona—whose nephew, Sgt. Cris Cepeda, arrived Friday night—and other prominent personalities such as Saipan Chamber of Commerce president Charles Cepeda, Rep. Benjamin Seman and Sen. Frica Pangelinan stood among the waiting crowd.
Gov. Benigno R. Fitial and his wife, Josie, went to the airport to officially welcome the soldiers back home. “I’m very happy to see all the troops back home,” the governor said, adding that he would hold a homecoming party for the soldiers when all of them are back from Iraq.
