Local Marine Returns Home From Afghanistan
PLYMOUTH Twp., Pa. (CBS) -- Hand shakes and hugs awaited Marine Corporal Jim Speers Sunday at the Barren Hill Fire Company in Lafayette, Pennsylvania. From there, police and fire officials escorted him through his home town of Plymouth Township.
Seven volunteer fire companies, motorcyclist from the Warriors' Watch Riders, and dozens within the community lined the streets to welcome home a hero.
"I wasn't expecting all these people," said Cpl. Speers who returned home from Afghanistan three weeks ago.
"We want them to stay motivated and know that we're here backing them, no matter what," said organizer Maria Hyland.
Cpl. Speers spent seven months in Afghanistan doing what he called infantry work on the ground.
Aside from his parents, Speers says he couldn't wait to see his fiancé Bryn Finucane. The two are scheduled to get married next summer.
The celebration comes on the same day U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton criticized the founder of Wikileaks.org, for the largest leak of classified information in American military history. Speers says he couldn't comment, but his father did.
"I think it's just horrible, people are going to die because of that, I think it's just horrible," said Tom Speers.
The important part, said Speers is that his son has returned home, which is something his friends and family don't take for granted.
Reported By: Jericka Duncan, CBS 3
