Parkville High Students Welcome Returning Troops

As planes bearing troops home from Iraq were landing at Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport last Friday, a group of Parkville High School students was waiting at the gates to show their appreciation for the men and women in the armed forces.

Students started making posters for Operation Welcome Home earlier in the week and wound up with six enormous posters they used to decorate the welcome area, according to spokeswoman Lexa Newman.

"We had almost 35 students and alumni with us Friday evening," Newman said. "Almost all of their parents stayed with us as well, and everyone got really into it."

As they waited for the troops to deplane, the students stuffed goody bags for the returning service members and hung their posters. They sang Christmas carols from a stairwell at the airport while waiting for the men and woman who served overseas.

"When the troops deplaned and started coming through, the kids were very emotional, and really awestruck. It was wonderful," Newman said.

Parkville High students weren't the only ones in the area thankful to see our men and women home from overseas—people from Parkville and Overlea have been posting messages of support on the USO Thanks from Everywhere website since late November.