Operation homecoming committees head to the airports to greet returning soldiers

June 16, 5:48 PMVeterans Affairs ExaminerValerie Halaby

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   PFC Joshua Rentas & his family

‘Ordinary people doing Extraordinary things’ – the proof is in airports all across the nation!  On June 10th at approximately 10 p.m., U.S. Army Private First Class Joshua Rentas stepped out of the jetway and down the corridor of concourse B at the Palm Beach International Airport to a cheering crowd of family, friends, and plenty of devoted supporters he had never met before. There were tears, hugs, balloons, flags waving, cameras flashing, and shouts of pride to welcome home yet another beloved American hero. “It’s happening everywhere”, said an airport security officer, “total strangers are coming to the airport to greet soldiers coming home from Iraq and Afghanistan”. “With all of the negative news you hear today, it’s nice to see people coming together to welcome home a soldier”, yelled another.

PFC Joshua Rentas couldn’t have been more surprised and graciously posed for photographs despite his long journey home from his first tour of duty in Iraq, His stepfather beamed with proud joy; mother Esther, and grandmother Generosa shed tears of gratitude for their son’s safe arrival home. Military families like this one make the ultimate sacrifice for their country with not only one son in the U.S. Military, but two. PFC Rentas’s elder brother is an enlisted Marine. This homecoming moment would only mark the beginning of the next several weeks and months ahead making up for lost time.

   Community Homecoming team

Volunteers from veterans’ support organizations such as Forgotten Soldiers Outreach, Inc., The American Legion, the Fisher House, the Patriot Guard, Vietnam Veterans of American, SOS Support Our Soldiers and many others were represented at Joshua’s homecoming to show their unified support. Operation homecoming committees regard every soldier as a hero regardless of rank or medal, and their members have vowed that every U.S. soldier returning home from military service abroad will be shown enormous gratitude and appreciation for their sacrifice.