Colorado Springs parade heralds returning troops
By ERIN EMERY
Copyright 2004 The Denver Post
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. -- Chief Warrant Officer Andrew Howard ran with Leslie Abeyta onto Tejon Street, arched her over, and planted a kiss on her lips.
The soldier from nearby Fort Carson was trying to re-enact Life magazine's famous 1945 photo in New York, when a young sailor smooched a nurse he did not know.
Howard and Abeyta, 33, of Fort Collins, Colo., did not know each other either when photographer Allison Earnest snapped their picture during Saturday's Welcome Home parade for troops in downtown Colorado Springs.
"We had a story made up but, no, we don't know each other," Howard said, laughing.
Tejon Street is a long way from Times Square, but downtown Colorado Springs sparkled on Saturday as an estimated 65,000 people jammed sidewalks to say thanks and welcome home from Iraq.
Marching bands, floats, dancers and 6,500 troops -- 5,000 from Fort Carson and others from the Navy, Marines and Air Force -- bounded through downtown as red, white, and blue confetti fell like rain.
Spectators waved American flags, businesses hung patriotic signs and the crowd yelled to passing troops: "Good job. We love you."
The adulation left 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment Sgt. Daniel Stull, 34, from Whiteville, N.C., fighting emotion.
"It causes your adrenaline to flow, you're so proud, you know," Stull said. "It makes it all worthwhile. I was over there for a year, and coming back, it makes you feel taller, stand taller, feel prouder for what you're doing."
Fort Carson sent 12,000 soldiers to serve in Iraq; 45 of them never made it home. Saturday's parade was a campaign promise kept by Colorado Springs Mayor Lionel Rivera. Businessman Ed Bircham asked Rivera during his campaign to hold a ticker-tape parade for troops when they returned. Rivera obliged, with the help of more than $100,000 in donations that paid for the gala.
The effort was appreciated by soldiers, who endured hardships during their year overseas. A shower came from a bag of water hung aloft. Sand fleas bit everywhere, leaving itchy red marks.
"You'd get chemical burns from all the bug spray," said Sgt. Ryan Saurs, 26, of Harrisburg, Pa.
When Saurs' wife, Carmen, sent Spam, it was like caviar in a can.
"Concertina hash," said Sgt. Nick Virden, 25, of Boise, Idaho, also of the 3rd Cavalry. "Spam and anything else you could put in it, onions, peppers, whatever."
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