http://www.daily-chronicle.com/2013/...irm0qr/?page=1
Sgt. Matthew Fletcher is finally home.
After serving four tours in Afghanistan as a ranger in the U.S. Army Special Forces, the DeKalb native was welcomed home Saturday by a parade of motorcycles, ambulances, fire trucks and police cars.
“It really surprised me,” Fletcher said. “I thought we were going to my brother's house.”
The Warriors' Watch Riders helped organize the surprise, which led Fletcher from Algus Packaging, 1212 E. Taylor St., to Huntley Middle School, 1515 S. Fourth St., which is just across the street from the Fletchers' home.
The Warriors' Watch Riders awarded Fletcher its challenge coin and colored beads for his service. The blue beads represented blue star families, gold represented gold star families and black represented prisoners of war who are missing in action.
The military does not organize homecoming events for members of the special force since the agents' jobs are both very secretive and dangerous, said Fred Fletcher, Matthew Fletcher's father.
Fletcher was deployed for four months at a time because there was a higher risk for injury or death, said Pat Fletcher, Matthew Fletcher's mother.
Those circumstances made the homecoming that much sweeter for the parents.
“When we got a call that he was in the U.S., it was like an elephant had stepped off my shoulders,” Pat Fletcher said.
Special agents are not allowed to disclose their locations in case phone calls are intercepted, so his parents never really knew where he was.
“He would call us on a secret line,” Pat Fletcher said. “It was very hard to wait for those phone calls because you don't know [when the phone would ring].”
“It was one of the hardest things I've ever experienced,” said Fred Fletcher, who also served in the military. “I'd get up in the middle of the night for a glass of water, and I'd think about him. Then I'd go to work all day. You never get a break.”
DeKalb resident Helen Muleya would agree. She was Matthew Fletcher's girlfriend throughout most of his time in deployment.
“It's weird having him back,” she said. “I'm so used to him leaving and not having too much time with him. It'll take time to get used to everyone after 4½ years away.”.............
Linear Mode
