My Trip Home

We loaded up Monday morning in the rain and headed for Texas. As we drove through Ark City we started to notice folks standing along the road holding American flags and signs. Some of them would stir and raise their flags as we drove by in the big green Jeep. We were delighted, never having had that kind of reception in Ark City before. We caught enough of the signs to know that the folks were there to welcome home someone named Sgt. Tyler Juden, but still we had great fun being part of the parade.

We soon arrived at where the main crowd was gathered and TV vans were parked. When we drove around the TV vans we saw the funeral home sign. It got pretty quiet in the big green Jeep.

Now normally I wouldn't mention a private, embarrassing moment like that one, but it got me thinking. Some people at the festival, myself included, have complained pretty bitterly and pretty publicly about the local youth causing problems and disrupting the festival – particularly last year out by the lake. OK, if I can complain about the young people around Winfield publicly, then I can also acknowledge Sgt. Juden's service publicly – at least as publicly as I can from a keyboard this evening.

Sgt. Tyler Juden, 23, born January 18, 1986 in Winfield, Kansas; died September 12, 2009 of injuries sustained while on active duty with the 82nd Airborne in Afghanistan. Decorations include the Bronze Star, the Purple Heart, the Army Commendation Medal with bronze oak leaf cluster, the Army Achievement Medal with bronze oak leaf cluster. Welcome home, Sgt. Juden.