Oklahoma Marine Home From Iraq

Friday, May 25th 2007, 10:23 am

By: News On 6

A Green Country Marine is reunited with his family Friday night. Loved ones gathered around him at the airport Friday afternoon, grateful to have him home safe when other families are suffering through injuries and more. Lance Corporal Chad Almy walked off the plane, exhausted but happy. The News On 6â€™s Heather Lewin reports that after nearly a year in Iraq, he's overjoyed to see his family once again.

"They're what brought me home," said Almy. â€œOver there I just thought about them every day, and they just made the nine months go a lot quicker."

Almy talked a little about his work overseas, mostly room clearing, connecting with locals and he says a lot of fighting. Despite debate on the war's success, he says accomplishments have been made.

"We were in a city that had no American forces in it, by the time we left it, they had no Iraqi forces, but now it's got an Iraqi police station, and it's completely under control, all the insurgents are out of it," Almy said.

But in the making of those accomplishments, thousands of troops have given their lives, others, severely injured are no longer in the line of fire, but are still far from their families in a time of crisis, getting medical treatment.

There is a way you can help them. It's a program called Hero Miles, an online way to donate your frequent flyer miles to injured troops and their families, connecting the two despite the high cost of air fare.

The program is sponsored by an organization called Fisher House. So far, the group says it's provided nearly 10,000 tickets to hospitalized service members and their families, worth more than $12 million in donations.

For many serving overseas, no matter what their condition, seeing families is just the medicine they need. In honor of Memorial Day there's something new with the Hero Miles program. It began at 6 a.m. on Friday. All holiday weekend long, your donation will be doubled.

For more information about Hero Miles, visit their website.

Watch the video: Online Program Helps Bring Soldiers And Their Families Together