"Welcome Home" Tribute to Soldiers & Marines

HUNTSVILLE--The City of Huntsville and the North Alabama Veteran’s Coalition will co-host a Welcome Home Tribute event honoring all service men and women from North Alabama who have recently returned from deployment overseas. The event will take place Saturday June 11 at John Hunt Park in Huntsville.

A formal Welcome Home Ceremony will kick off the festivities at 5 p.m. and a festival with music and children’s activities will follow at 6 p.m. A red, white, and blue fireworks finale will end the evening at 9 p.m. The public is invited and encouraged to attend the event.

Several hundred service members will be guests of honor at the event. The evening will be a tribute to them and their families as an expression of appreciation from the community. Units represented include the 142nd Signal Brigade; 117th Air Refueling Wing; 926th Engineers; elements of the 279th Signal Battalion to include B Company; 115th Signal Battalion; Battery K, 4th Battalion, 14th Marines, 4th Marine Division; and soldiers from Redstone Arsenal. The 151st Alabama National Guard Band will play during the formal ceremony.

“I am so proud to host an event to honor these men and women who have given so much of themselves for our country. We also want to honor their families who experienced great hardships while they were gone,” said Mayor Loretta Spencer. She continued, “Dedicating a special evening to them is the least we can do to show our gratitude. I encourage the public to come out and express their appreciation as well”.

"The Affiliates of the Veterans Coalition are pleased to join with the City of Huntsville to welcome home our local heroes after their extended tour of duty protecting our freedoms. We Veterans know from personal experience the contributions made by the family members as well as the troops,” said Bill Meiers, President of the Coalition. He continued, “We hope the public will turn out to show support for these brave young men and women and their families. Of course, we recognize the war is not over, others will also deploy and we will be equally vigilant in recognizing their contributions next year.”

The event is scheduled to go on, “rain or shine” and the public is encouraged to bring lawn chairs. No admission will be charged. The Welcome Home Tribute is being sponsored by Boeing, the City of Huntsville and Domino’s Pizza.