NORTH KINGSTOWN, R.I. -- About 250 people, some holding signs, babies, toddlers, and one holding a puppy, welcomed 100 soldiers returning from a year's deployment in Afghanistan.
One man met his baby for the first time in person, instead of via Skype.
Douglas Sylvestre of Cumberland, when asked what's the first thing he would eat, turned to him mother and asked, "What's for supper."
Pizza, she said.
The plane arrived at Quonset from Indiana, where the soldiers in the 143rd Infantry have spent the last five days turning in gear and writing reports. It touched down at about 4 p.m., and the first soldier, bearing the unit's flag, stepped off the plane to a big "wooh" from the crowd, followed by cheers, tears, cowbells, jumping for joy and squeals of delight.
And within a half hour, the crowd was gone.