Clinton Guard unit returns to fanfare, hugs

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| Saturday, May 8, 2004 9:58 PM CDT | () comments

David Heitz

CLINTON, Iowa � The city of Clinton rolled out the red, white and blue carpet Saturday to welcome home about 100 members of the 234th Signal Battalion, Company B, of the Army National Guard.

A crowd of well-wishers filled the gymnasium at Clinton High School, where the homecoming celebration was held. A caravan of buses containing the soldiers traveled along U.S. 30 to Manufacturing Drive en route to the school. Hundreds of people lined the streets and held home-made signs bearing messages such as "Welcome home uncle Kurtis."

When the group arrived at the school, the crowd began to stomp their feet, clap their hands and pump their fists into the air before settling down for a short ceremony.

"Deployments are to places of danger," a chaplain prayed during an invocation. "We are grateful you shielded them from death." Military officials then read the names of Guard members who did not make it home, followed by a moment of silence.

Clinton Mayor LaMetta Wynn lauded the men and women of Company B, who were scattered throughout Iraq and specialized in setting up communication equipment. "It's so good to see all of you home," she said. "We are thankful that you kept our country free and did it in such a way that each of you, to us, is a hero."

After the ceremony, families and friends poured out of the bleachers and onto the gymnasium floor, their arms outstretched and ready for hugs.

Sgt. Kevin Kenneauy sobbed as he hugged his wife and son. He kissed newborn twin nieces and a nephew he never had seen on their foreheads. "I love you so much," he told his wife, overcome with emotion. "This is an awesome, great feeling."

Kenneauy's 9-year-old son wrapped his arms around his dad's waist and began to cry.

Townspeople lined up to hug Kenneauy, a popular bartender at Voodoo Lounge in Clinton for the past 12 years. His wife, Stacie, said the couple had married just five days before his deployment in March 2003. "We have a lot to celebrate, beginning with our first anniversary."

Before the soldiers arrived, Jack and Darlene Merten of Clinton waited patiently. Their son, Steffen, never got to come home during the one-year deployment. "We've waited this long, we can wait a little longer," Darlene Merten said.

Steffen Merten was a junior at Luther College, Decorah, Iowa, when he received marching orders. His girlfriend, Kate Jacobson, who met Merten at Luther, took deep breaths as the wait dragged on. The buses arrived about an hour late.

"I've been waiting a long time for this moment," Jacobson said, her eyes filling with tears as the company finally filed into the sweltering gymnasium. "We were lucky though, because since he is in communications, he had access to e-mail and all that."

Maria Kelly, 11, of Clinton, also was anxiously awaiting the return of her father, Staff Sgt. Greg Kelly.

"I have has been counting the days since he left," she said. "I don't know if it is right, but I counted one year, three months, two weeks and one day."

With her allowance money, Maria bought a heart-shaped box of chocolates that she gave to her dad as they reunited.

Jennifer Brown of Clinton said she wore waterproof mascara to the homecoming celebration. She held a billboard that read "We love you, Jeremy" as her brother, Jeremy Brown, entered the gym.

Jeremy Brown's father, Jim Brown, presented his son with a framed copy of a QUAD-CITY TIMES bearing the headline, "We got him," from the day Iraqi President Saddam Hussein was captured.

For the moms reunited with their sons, there could not have been a better Mother's Day present.

Kris Walther of DeWitt was twice as joyful as most moms who attended the homecoming celebration. She had two sons with Company B � Bobby Walther and Chad Dohrmann � and Saturday she was reunited with both of them.

"I don't have to say goodbye again," she said.

Bobby Walther said it felt good to be home. "I knew I was coming back," he said. "I knew we were all coming home."

The city desk can be contacted at (563) 383-2245 or newsroom@qctimes.com.