Soldiers get homecoming of thanks

Front and center was a celebration of life, two separate homecomings in one day for two groups of Utah National Guard units gone the past year.

In the shadows, amid flag-waving children and spouses holding colorful signs, were thoughts of how each group had suffered losses.

About 100 soldiers with 1st Corps Artillery arrived in Salt Lake City Thursday after spending a year in Afghanistan. Last November, I Corps lost 2nd Lt. Scott Lundell, 35, of West Valley City, in a firefight. He was its only casualty since the group deployed a year ago.

An hour after the cheers faded for I Corps, 39 soldiers belonging to 2nd Battalion, 211th Aviation, arrived on a KC-135 refueling tanker at the Guard's air base, now home following a one-year deployment in Iraq.

But only four days ago their group lost Apache helicopter pilots James Linder and Clayton Barnes, members of 1st Battalion, 211th Aviation. They were killed while on a training mission west of Utah Lake when their helicopter crashed. Both pilots had served in Afghanistan in 2004-05.

"It makes for a real somber homecoming," said Chief Warrant Officer Ken Hess, a Blackhawk chopper pilot who exchanged a long hug with his brother, Corey Hess.

On Wednesday a Blackhawk went down in Iraq, killing 14 U.S. troops. The eight Blackhawks that left a year ago with the 2-211th are en route to Utah, with two possibly being transferred to another state, according to Maj. Peter Adams.

But Hess said Thursday he was focused on his friends, Linder and Barnes, and that he will try to attend funerals Friday and Saturday for both men.

For a day, at least, the 211th families focused on each other.

Warrant Officer Brian Yardley kissed his wife, Robyn, and held his children Kayden, 3, and Keiana, 1. He said he can expect to be home for at least two years now until the potential arises for another deployment.

"It is incredible to be back," Yardley said. "I've missed so much — I've pretty much missed her whole life," referring to Keiana.

But the Yardleys say they were fortunate, able to communicate almost daily during the deployment, often using a Web camera. "He got to see his dad," Robyn said about Kayden.

Lisa Gale of Draper had a similar experience with her husband of 11 years, Sgt. Kevin Gale, a Blackhawk crew chief.

"I talked with him almost daily," Gale said. "It was awesome."