Escorted by the veterans' group Warriors' Watch, it was a hero's welcome for Navy Corpsman Anthony Hunt.
Sporting a yellow ribbon, his dog Brewski was the first to greet Hunt as he arrived in Northeast Philadelphia after a 7-month tour of duty where he served as a medic with a Marine Sniper Unit in Afghanistan.
"I'm not a big attention person so I didn't expect all of this," Corpsman Hunt said.
"I'm glad that he's out of there, I was a mess the whole 7 months, as all of us were. But I'm glad he's out of there and he's safe," wife Ashley Hunt said.
Neighbors draped the area with yellow ribbons as friends and family emotionally embraced the 23 year old father Judge High School grad.
Hunt, changed by his war experience, thanked the crowd and asked them to remember those who didn't make it home.
"Just ask you to continue praying for the families of my brothers that were lost over there and that their families stay strong and make it through," Corpsman Hunt said.
Anthony is home for what's called a 96, just 96 hours, or 4 days of leave before he has to report back home to his base in California.
"My heart was pumping like you wouldn't believe when I was standing at that airport and I saw him coming through that gate," stepfather Joe Yeager said.
Anthony's parents met him at Philadelphia International Monday afternoon.
Seeing and holding him was the answer to his mom's prayers and the prayers of many others who've come through the lab where she works.
"I would mooch prayers off every single patient that came in for years and I believe in the power of prayer," Dee Yeager said.
Home safe now from war, what is it Anthony's been looking forward to?
"Wawa and Steve's Steaks," Corpsman Hunt said.
Welcome home, Corpsman. Is that "wit" or "witout" cheese?
