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Marines Welcomed Home

Four families are celebrating after welcoming home their Marines Friday following deployment to Afghanistan.

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Reporter: Ann McIntire

Marine Homecoming

Four families are celebrating after welcoming home their Marines Friday following deployment to Afghanistan.

It's been a long time coming for Sgt. Walid Kanan to hold his girlfriend again. “She takes my breath away, look at her, I can't describe it. I'm just too happy right now."

Sgt. Kanan returned to Omaha's Eppley Airfield along with three other Marines. This was his second deployment, his first was to Iraq. "This one was harder, this one was harder because I had her, had to miss her the whole time."

Their survival tool? “Skype, Skype helps a lot over there,” said girlfriend Adrienne Ferguson. Meeting in person was better. “Oh yes, a lot!”

The larger welcoming party, mothers, fathers, siblings, gathered at the Marine's unit. “I made out a poster, I got a balloon and her boyfriend got her flowers and I made out a shirt as well,” said Vanessa Arias, sister of a returning Marine.

As the Patriot Riders led in the Marines, the excitement came to an all-time high. “Hey mom! Oh, I love you!" Families embraced their loved ones for the first time in nearly nine months.

“It's overwhelming support, really pretty happy everybody came out,” said Cpl. Jonathan Korus. It was his first time away from home and he's glad to see his mom again. “It feels pretty good, it's funny that she cried though."

And he's ready to enjoy the perks of life, back in Omaha. Good to be home to eat good food? "Yeah!” What's the first meal going to be? “Well, I'll probably make him meatloaf,” said his mother. “Yeah meatloaf!" said Cpl. Korus.

There are no plans for deployment again for these Marines. They will have a few days off with family and report back to their unit Wednesday morning.