Soldiers arrive to outpouring of love
For Pulse
Sunday, June 21, 2009
Lt. Col. Randi Williams’ latest stint in service to her country went like this:
Four months in Iraq. Twenty-six hours flying home. One huge moment of shock.
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Lt. Col. Randi Williams and her husband, Kevin, head out of Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport, where she arrived in May to a bevy of well-wishers. Williams enlisted 16 years ago, inspired by her father. Since January, she has been in Iraq as a nurse in the Air Force Reserve.
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Caitlin Rodriguez and Ansley Reed, both nieces of Lt. Col. Randi Williams, hold a welcome banner before she arrives at the airport.
Williams, a nurse who lives in Lawrenceville, enlisted 16 years ago in the U.S. Air Force Reserve. Since January, she has been in Iraq serving as a flight nurse, offering care and comfort to wounded personnel while hurtling through the sky.
“As a nurse, you always see action,” she said.
When she landed at Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport in May, some serious action awaited. Her husband, Kevin Williams, and daughter Erin Whitney organized a festive entourage of friends and family to greet her with flags, flowers and banners.
“I love you all,” a stunned and nearly speechless Williams said to the group of 20 or so. “I missed you.”
Her homecoming was among the many displays of patriotic spirit at the airport on the day before Memorial Day.
On the floor above the main level, USO volunteers Carolyn Roland, Shelby Torbert and Maxine Halleck were proud to support men and women in uniform, one brownie or peanut butter and jelly sandwich at a time. The three friends, all AT&T retirees, along with a group from Congregation Shearith Israel, were among the folks who staffed the airport’s USO office on one of its busier days.
“It means a lot,” said Roland, whose grandson Matthew, 18, was about to begin his U.S. Army career — right after graduating from Paulding County High School. She noted that they’d had their pick of Sundays in May, and chose the day before Memorial Day.
“They all say, ‘Thank you,’ and we say, ‘Oh, thank you,’ ” said Halleck, whose chocolate brownies disappeared shortly after she set them out.
USO director Mary Lou Austin’s office, which includes a library, wireless access, a full kitchen and comfortable chairs where military personnel can just relax. It typically serves between 300 and 800 visitors a day. But crowds over the Memorial Day weekend were larger.
The day’s spread was a hot, chef-catered meal instead of the usual sandwiches and chips.
“Every holiday, we make it special,” Austin said.
The USO is funded by private donations and grants from organizations including the United Way of Metropolitan Atlanta.
Atlanta’s response to the USO’s needs has been so great that volunteer shifts are generally always filled. People interested in helping can consider donating items such as bottled water or phone cards, she said. (For information, see www.usogeorgia.org.)
— This article is a reprint from The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.