90 soldiers return home from Iraq

Jose Luis Juarez was happy to be home.

He was one of 90 soldiers who’d just returned from a nine-month tour of duty in Iraq.

"It feels awesome," Juarez, 19, said as his girlfriend Daisy Martinez wrapped her arms tightly around him at Jacob Brown Auditorium. Family and friends were waiting for their heroes from Alpha Company, 3rd Battalion, 141st Infantry Regiment.

Martinez, 20, was almost giddy with joy.

"I am so happy," she said as she pressed her head against Juarez’s shoulder. "Super happy, and super excited."

The company, one of four that had deployed from the Valley, had performed a number of duties, including convoy escort and area security operations.

"Alpha Company did both of those missions from Camp Bucca in Southern Iraq," said Lt. Col. Joachim Strenk, battalion commander. "I think the battalion did extremely well. We had 750 troops that got split up all over Iraq."

A large crowd had gathered at the auditorium in eager anticipation of the soldiers’ arrival. They sat at tables or in the stands with signs that read, "I Love My Soldier" "Welcome Back Jorge and Junior" and "Welcome son SPC Ibarra. You are our hero."

Sandra Onderdonk-Flores had a sign that read "I’m here to pick up my son."

Her son was Staff Sgt. John Onderdonk, 29, whose brother, nieces, and girlfriend awaited his return.

"We are ecstatic," said Onderdonk-Flores. "We can’t wait to see him. We’re going to go out there and tackle him. We have missed him so much. It hasn’t been the same. It’s a totally different atmosphere when he’s here."

What has she missed most about her son?

"His sense of humor, his enthusiasm for adventure," she said.

However, in his phone calls, emails, and most of all during a visit home in March, she and other family members saw a change in him.

"I have seen him change from, you know, the party boy that was here into a totally different man, more confident," she said. "He’s become totally different when I see him. He was still my little boy to me. Since he’s gone, he’s a real leader."

Onderdonk’s girlfriend, Ana Gallegos, 35, said she spent a lot of sleepless nights at the computer hoping he would log on.

"There was a lot of times we had no communication," she said. "That was tough."

Gallegos said her boyfriend really misses Valley food.

"He misses his mom’s enchiladas," she said. "He’s tired of eating in the chow hall."

Children and adults both rushed to the doors as busses carrying the troops pulled up to the curb outside the auditorium. Everyone was instructed to return to their seats because the soldiers would be marching in formation toward the front of the auditorium. Everyone did so, but they couldn’t contain their excitement as the troops marched single file across the auditorium and formed into ranks. Cameras flashed, flags waved, cheers ripped through the room.

Gallegos, dressed in a flowered dress, wiped tears from her eyes as she spotted Onderdonk while a recording of Lee Greenwood’s "Proud To Be An American" played.

"He looked great!" she said. "He was focused on going straight ahead."

A whole group of children and adults erupted with shouts of "Junior! Junior! Junior!" as Juarez entered the room, and then the same group shouted "Jorge! Jorge! Jorge!" for Juarez’s uncle, Jorge De La Garza.

After all the troops had arrived, there was a prayer of thanks and the playing of the National Anthem, followed by several speakers.

"Good morning, my fellow Americans," state Sen. Eddie Lucio Jr. said. "I am pleased to join with the parents, husbands, wives, cousins, and everyone here today, of the families of all these who returned from abroad. I am humbled to be part of the joyous celebration with you today. It’s been a long and difficult journey, but the troops have found their way home."

Lucio and the others kept their speeches brief; they knew the troops wanted to embrace their loved ones and head home.

Onderdonk-Flores and Gallegos embraced their returning troop as if they would never let go of him again.

John Onderdonk said it felt great to be home and he was proud of his service in Iraq.

"We did a lot of good things," he said. "I think we had a positive impact on the country and the overall mission was a success and something to be proud of."

Onderdonk said he was involved in area security operations.

"It was more like a local police department, working with Iraqi police and allowing them to do their job there and giving them support," he said.

Jorge De La Garza had to leave a month after the birth of his daughter Fabiola. He was happy to be able to hold her again.

"It feels pretty good," he said. "I am just glad to be back safe."

Note: For additional images of the troops return, please see photo gallery.