It's 'best Thanksgiving ever' for soldier's kin

Crowd welcomes Pfc. Tyler Smith home from Iraq

There was clapping, cheering and some crying but mostly smiles when Pfc. Tyler Smith rounded a corner at Huntsville International Airport Thursday morning.

Smith had come home from Iraq to find more than 40 people waiting to greet him.

"This is the best Thanksgiving ever," said Smith's mother, Jackie Bray. "Everyone's together. Thanksgiving is complete."

The weekend of Nov. 15, Smith was traveling in a convoy when an improvised explosive device planted in the road blew up under his vehicle. According to Smith's friends and family, the blast flipped the vehicle, and the soldiers in the convoy came under enemy fire.

Smith doesn't remember anything other than a bright light and waking up on a Black Hawk helicopter.

Several soldiers were killed or wounded, but Smith escaped with no serious injuries.

Smith, 20, had been in Iraq for four months. He's scheduled to return in mid-December. He arrived at the airport about 11:30 a.m., just in time for Thanksgiving dinner at home in Monrovia.

"It feels good to see everybody," he said after he'd been hugged by everyone at least twice. "The e-mails have been great. I've been keeping in good contact with everyone."

His biggest surprise Thursday was the fact that the people waiting for him in the terminal would skip Thanksgiving with their families to meet him at the airport.

"It's nice of everybody to wait for me to come in," he said.

In addition to his family, there were many friends from high school and most of the members of the Monrovia Fire Department, where Smith is a volunteer firefighter.

His father, Jeff, retired from the military, is thankful his son is home safe.

"I'm happy but overwhelmed," he said. "I've seen reunions; there's nothing more joyful. Bless the Lord."...