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October 28, 2007 - Spartansburg, PA - A year ago today, Second Lt Andrew Kinard, a 2005 USNA graduate, suffered life altering injuries while on deployment in Iraq. He lost both of his legs and has spent much of the last year hospitalized, in and out of the operating room, undergoing rigorous physical and occupational therapy, driven by an indomitable will to one day walk again.
Yesterday, he returned to Spartanburg, SC, his hometown, and received a Hero's Welcome.
About 1,000 American flags were distributed and the streets were lined with well-wishers as the motorcade passed. Five hundred "Welcome home, Andrew" T-shirts were donated and handed out.
A ceremony was held at the First Baptist Church, where he and his family are members. A stage was set up in the church's back parking lot. The event lasted about an hour. Speakers included SC Governor Mark Sanford, Senator Lindsay Graham, Senator Jim DeMint, Congressman Bob Inglis, Mayor Barnett of Spartanburg, County Council member David Britt, Andrew's sister and father. They called Andrew Spartanburg's hero and "America's best." They called him an inspiration. They read letters from people in his life who noticed his leadership skills at an early age. And they thanked him for his service. He was given a biker jacket, copies of resolutions passed in his honor and a flag flown over the U.S. Capitol.
And then, flanked by his father and youth minister, Andrew stood on two titanium and plastic prosthetic legs, put his arms firmly on the podium and looked out into a sea of nearly 4,000 people, many of them waving flags, and he said,
"There's been talk of heroes today, and heroism - what we think of it, how we define it, who we look at as heroes. I see a lot of heroes out here. I see a whole lot of heroes."
"I see these gentlemen, and some of these ladies, sporting their Marine Corps League and other veterans organizations' covers, uniforms. The law enforcement officials here today, I can't thank you enough for your heroic efforts in serving our nation - because that's what it's all about. It's about serving something greater than yourself. And sacrifice."Today, he flies back to Washington to continue his rehabilitation.
Thanks to Christine Laird, we have photos from the ceremony
To read more about Andrew and his homecoming:
www.goupstate.com/article/20071028/NEWS/710280365/-1/news102
Thank you, Christine, for sharing these photos and this day with us all!
Sandi Zets
Westlake, OH