A
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>>>
>>> NOW
>>> NOW TO A SALUTE FOR THESE 4@ BRAVE MEN AND WOMEN FROM OUR
MILITARY COMING HOME TO A
HEROES WELCOME PUT TOGETHER BY
A GROUP OF VOLUNTEERS WHO
THEY'VE NEVER MET.
WHEN WE HEARD ABOUT OPERATION 4@
WELCOME HOME MARYLAND, WE KNEW
IT WAS TIME TO COME TOGETHER
WITH THE COMMUNITY TO HELP THEM
OUT.
OUT.
OUT. YOU
OUT. YOU KNOW WHAT WE CALL THAT,
MAKING AN IMPACT.
>> I'M HAPPY TO SAY THE PLANE
IS ON THE GROUND.
THEY WILL BE COMING OUT 4@THESE
DOUBLE DOORS VERY SHORTLY.
>> FOR THEM TO COME OUT AND SEE
EVERYBODY HERE, THEY'RE
ACTUALLY SO 4@THRILLED.
IT BRINGS THEM TO TEARS.
>> Reporter: WHAT MOVED YOU TO
CREATE OPER4@ATION WELCOME HOME
>> I WAS ON ACTIVE DUTY AT THE
TIME AND I SAID WE SHOULD BE
THERE AT THE AIRPORT GREETING
OUR TROOPS.
OUR TROOPS. I HAVE A DAUGHTER IN THE ARMY.
I HAVE TWO SONS IN THE NAVY.
I JUST RETIRED AND MY HUSBAND
WAS IN THE NAVY, THOUGH4@.
4@ IT'S A VERY PERSONAL THING FOR
ME.
ME.
ME. WE'VE
ME. WE'VE HAD SOLDIERS COME THROUGH
AND KISS THE GROUND RIGHT IN
FRONT OF US.
>> WELCOME HOME.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR4@ SERVICE.
>> THEY'RE TIRED, BUT THEY
DON'T CARE.
DON'T CARE. THEY JUST WANT TO GET HOME.
>> I'M WAITING FOR MY HUSBAND.
>> OUR GRAND SON.
>> OUR SON IS COMING HOME.
>> Reporter: HOW 4@LONG SINCE @
4@
>> Reporter: HOW 4@LONG SINCE @ YOU'VE SEEN YOUR HUSBAND?
>> A LITTLE OVER EIGHT MONTHS.
>> SEVEN MONTHS.
>> 15 MONTHS.
>> BUT THESE HAVE BEEN THE
LONGEST THREE HOURS DEFINITELY,
THE LONGEST THREE HOURS.
MY HANDS HAVE BEEN SHAKING WITH
ANTICIPATION.
ANTICIPATION. >> Repor4@ter: WHAT'S IT GOING
TO FEEL LIKE WHEN YOU SEE YOUR
SON WALK THROUGH THE DOOR?
>> GOING TO BE GREAT TO SEE
HIM, GREAT FOR HIM TO BE HOME.
>>
>> Reporter: HOW MANY OF THESE DEPLOYMENTS HAVE YOU BEEN
THROUGH?
THROUGH?
THROUGH? >> OUR SECOND.
>> Reporter: DOES IT EVER GET
EASY?
EASY?
EASY? >>
EASY? >> NO.
>> NO.
>> NO. >>
>> NO. >> Reporter: IT NEVER LEAVES
YOUR MIND, DOES IT, THAT HE
SAYS SERVING OUR NATION?
>> NO.
>> NO.
>> NO. GOT HIM RIGHT HERE.
>> Reporter: YOU REMEMBER WHAT
IT WAS LIKE TO WALK THROUGH
THOSE DOORS.
THOSE DOORS. WHAT WAS IT LIKE?
>> DEFINITELY VERY HUMBLING
FEELING.
FEELING.
FEELING. >> I WAS IN THE SAME BOAT
COMING THROUGH THOSE DOORS 4@
SEVERAL YEARS AGO.
THE SAME GROUP 4@WAS HERE TO ME
ME.
ME.
ME. >>
ME. >> IT'S A REWARDING FEELING
HAVING PEOPLE WELCOME YOU HOME.
>> IT FEELS GREAT, SO NICE TO
HAVE HIM HOME FOR THE HOLIDAYS,
FOR SURE.
FOR SURE.
FOR SURE. >> IT'S WONDERFUL, FEELS GOOD
TO BE BACK HOME.
>>
>> Reporter: WE FORGET SOMETIMES ABOUT THE SACRIFICE
OF THESE YOUNG MEN AND WOMEN?
>> YES, WE DO.
WE FORGET IT ALL THE TIME.
WE GET BUSY WITH OUR EVERYDAY
LIVES.
LIVES.
LIVES. >>
LIVES. >> WE DON'T WANT TO REPEAT THE
4@
>> WE DON'T WANT TO REPEAT THE STORIES OF VIETNAM.
>> THE FEELING THAT IT BRINGS
YOU COMING BACK IS GREAT AND
I'M HAPPY 4@TO DO MY SMALL PART
TO GIVE BACK TO THAT.
>> THIS IS ABSOLUTELY WONDERFUL
FOR THE FAMILIES, ABSOLUTELY
WONDERFUL.
WONDERFUL. >> Reporter: WHAT DO YOU NEED
TO CONTINUE TO DO THE WORK THAT
>> Reporter: WHAT DO YOU NEED TO CONTINUE TO DO THE WORK THAT@
YOU DO EVERY 4@DAY?
WHAT WOULD HELP YOU WELCOME
HOME EVEN MORE OF OUR 4@HEROES?
>> I THINK WHAT WE NEED THE
MOST IS VOLUNTEERS.
>> SOMETIMES THE FLIGHT MIGHT
SHIFT TO 11:00 AT 4@NIGHT.
SO WE ALWAYS COULD USE SOME
NIGHT OWLS TO COME OUT AND HELP
US GREET THE TROOPS.
>> Reporter: YOUR LITTLE
MIGHTY MISSION HERE HAS STIRRED
SOMETHING IN US AND WE WANTED
TO MAKE SURE THAT WE GAVE
SOMETHING TO YOU SO THAT YOU
CAN CONTINUE TO SERVE.
SO I HAVE A COUPLE FRIENDS
HERE.
HERE.
HERE. I'VE GOT CHELSEA FROM THE
AMERICAN MILITARY UNIVERSITY
AND REPRESENTING OUR WUSA9
FAMILY OUR PRESIDENT AND
GENERAL MANAGER RICHARD DYER
HERE AND THEY WANT TO PRESENT A
GENERAL MANAGER RICHARD DYER HERE AND THEY WANT TO PRESENT A@
LITTLE SOMETHING TO YOU.
>> ALL RIGHT.
>> ON BEHALF OF AMERICAN
MILITARY UNIVERSITY, WE WOULD
LIKE 4@TO PRESENT A CHECK OF
1,500.
1,500.
1,500. IT'S FROM OUR VETERAN STUDENTS.
WE'RE JUST 4@HONORED TO BE HERE
THANK YOU.
THANK YOU. >> THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
THIS IS AWESOME.
WE REALLY, REALLY APPRECIATE
IT.
IT.
IT. >>
IT. >> ON
IT. >> ON BEHALF OF TEGNA AND WUSA,
WE WANT TO GIVE YOU A
CONTRIBUTION OF $2,500 TO HELP
OPERATION WELCOME HOME.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR ALL 4@
THAT YOU'RE DOING.
>> EVERYBODY PARTICIPATES AND
IT'S A REALLY GREAT THING.
YOU DON'T NEED TO WATCH IT ON
TV BECAUSE IT'S RIGHT HERE IN
OUR BACKYARD.
OUR BACKYARD. WE INVITE EVERYBODY TO COME
OUT, DO A LITTLE BIT FOR THE
HOLIDAYS AND SAY THANKS TO OUR
TROOPS.
>>
>> IT'S
>> IT'S ONE INCREDIBLE EXPERIENCE TO BE THERE
WELCOMING HOME 4@OUR SERVICE 4@
MEMBERS WHEN THEY COME BACK.
IT IS JUST EXTRAORDINARY.
WE'RE ASKING YOU TO JOIN US TO
HELP MAKE AN IMPACT FOR THE MEN
AND WOMEN OF THE MILITARY
COMING HOME FOR THE HOLIDAYS
AND ALL YEAR LONG.
YOU CAN SIGN UP TO VOLUNTEER.
IT4@ DOESN'T COST YOU 4@ANYTHIN
BUT YOUR TIME.
JUST GO TO WWW.WUSA9.COM/IMPACT