Why A Hero's Welcome Was Started...

       On the 4th of July of this year, I sat with my family at the Independence Day Parade in our hometown of Pottstown and watched all the local groups, dressed in their patriotic costumes walk by us.  When the Veterans walked through, I noticed an older gentleman marching proudly in the front, he had to be in his late seventies or early 80s and I remember he had the whitest of hair.  A World War II Vet, I thought.  He was wearing his original sailor's uniform from his time in the US Navy.  After more than 50 years, he could still fit into it!  He marched up front with a huge American flag and the way he carried it, it was as if he was bestowed the greatest honor of his life.  I could tell he carried that Flag for all it stood for: freedom, honor, courage, and the lives of so many young men and women. 

       Behind him marched several other Veterans, all donning their jackets and covers from their respective Marine Corps Leagues and VFW posts, but it was who marched behind these WWII and Korea Veterans that made me stop: Vietnam Vets.  You could still see the sadness in their eyes.  They marched with their fellow Veterans but it was a very different march.  All I could think was, "Shame on us that we let our heroes from an unpopular war come home to nothing.  It still shows, and it still effects them."

       Members from our current military drove behind our Veterans in their 10 ton trucks towing weapons from our field artillery and our thoughts and discussion turned to my fiancee, Spc. Ian W. Keyser, who is serving in Afghanistan as a member of the 173rd Airborne Brigade.  He is expected home for some rest and relaxation in October and we wanted to create a welcome home for him that could mirror a Super Bowl parade.  We just want him to know how proud we are of him and what he is doing for our country. 

       But what about the troops that do not have anyone to welcome them home? 

       Over-the-top celebrations are common place in both of our families but what about the service members whos family and friends are not as supportive? What would they come home to?  It was then that I decided that no Veteran of the Wars in Iraq and Afghanistan will come home to the same treatment our Vietnam Veterans came home to.  It was then that A Hero's Welcome was born, or atleast the thought of it was.

       Like many Americans, after September 11th, I wondered what I could do to keep our country strong and safe.  The 4th of July Parade was still very much in my head and I kept thinking:  

       How can I also make sure that the community knows about these heroes so that our youth can look up to these men and women as role models, rather than tabloid-makers or drug dealers? 

       If I can accomplish this, can it help to change society and possibly a generation?

       Can it help to rewrite history so that our troops never again experience what our Vietnam Veterans did? 

       Some said "yes," but many said "no." I learned a long time ago that if you tell an American she can't do something, she'll do it; and with twice the results.  So with my life savings and the vision of the hardships our military members have to endure in my head, I left my job and I started A Hero's Welcome.  It's one of the scariest steps I've ever taken in my life but worth every second. 

       Thank you for your support, and if you enjoy your freedom, make sure you thank a Veteran.

For our troops,

Sharon Hyland Keyser, Founder

Photo by Barbara Cunningham

"I Support the Troops, but I Don't Support the War."

I hear this statement often, it's usually after I tell someone that I come from a military family and my husband is serving overseas. 

I know there is a lot of emotion surrounding our presence in Iraq and Afghanistan, it has proven to divide us pretty harshly here in the US and abroad.  I'm not asking that you reconsider your position on the war: for, against or neutral.  What I am asking is that you support the troops, the very ones defending your right to an opinion. 

They are enduring more hardships in one tour than many of us will ever experience in our lifetime.  Their families sacrifice every birthday, holiday and celebration without them.  The families do not sleep during an entire deployment and are on edge every time the phone rings or there is an unfamiliar car in their driveway.  Please take this into consideration when you meet a military family or greet a military member. 

If you would like to say "Thank You" to any of our local men and women, sign up to be a part of their welcome home.  Shake their hand, give them a hug or just wave an American flag. 

Pride is contagious; courage is, too.

-S.H.K.