News Article

Wednesday, May 25, 2005
by Candice Edney

Around 40 people were present at a welcome home ceremony for a local soldier wounded in Iraq.

Specialist with the 190th Engineer Company out of Morristown Anthony Lambert returned to his home today. Lambert, a resident of Greeneville for the past nine years, was wounded in March by a roadside bomb blast in Iraq. This same blast killed Sergeant Paul Thomason III from Jefferson City. Lambert was first treated in Germany before being returned to the United States where he was treated at the Army's Walter Reed Medical Center near Washington, D.C. and then at a hospital in Florida.

Lambert was not only welcomed back by friends and family, but also members of the community and the local National Gaurd Support Group. County Mayor Roger Jones was also present.

Lambert says he is happy to be home. His thoughts are with those still in Iraq, and he looks forward to when everyone can come home.

Story Copyright to Greeneville.Com - Newsradio WGRV 1340

Email from 190th FRG FRoGs :

What a beautiful day to celebrate the return of one of our Army family. Tony was welcomed at the airport by about 2 dozen people and reporters from 2 different stations. Included in the welcoming party was one of our soldiers home on leave. It was good to get to see Matt S. for at least a few minutes.

We had a small convoy to their home in Greene county, and picked up a couple different police escorts along the way. I never got an actual count, but believe we had around 40-50 people there at the house. Banners and bows were tied to anything that would hold them. A very nice lunch was waiting for everyone. Glenna had worked with their landlady to arrange the food. The groceries from HHT (2nd Squadron) had been delivered the day before (we did leave these out along the kitchen counter so Renita could put it where she wanted things).

Tony had said at one time or another, that he wanted a t-shirt made, and Bren saw to it that he received it they way he wanted it. He had said he wanted a case to put his flag in they had given him (it had been flown over the Capitol), so FRG made sure he had a case waiting. We also got Renita a very beautiful basket of flowers for what she has had to go through (thank you Janice R. for your part in this).

The Greeneville Mayor was there,as well as Cpt Keerny (rear Commander for 2nd Squadron). Several guys from G Troop were there including Jimmy Feezel, and they have all been a BIG help to us and we are so thankful for them.

Tony really looked great and was so tickled at the turnout for his return. I do believe we pulled off a great surprise for him.

Thank you so much to everyone who has helped during all of this. It has been a long two months since he was injured, and he still has a long road of recovery ahead. I really appreciate everyone's help in making this a wonderful return for Tony. I sure hope I have spelled names right and gotten titles correct ... didn't get it all written down. Have a great one all!

Carolyn