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Wednesday, February 1, 2012

500 residents waving US flags and posters welcome Marine back home

North Reading welcomes Marine back from Afghanistan with flags, hugs, and handshakes
02/01/2012
By Brian R. Ballou, Globe Staff
NORTH READING -- The heart of this community may be on Park Street. The elementary school, high school, and senior center are here and so are the police and fire departments.

People poured out of those buildings today and lined the street to welcome Marine Ben Hodgkins back home. The town’s warm embrace came as a surprise to the lieutenant, who suddenly found himself riding behind a police escort into a crowd of about 500 residents waving US flags and posters.

“I’m just trying to take this all in right now,” Hodgkins said this morning, gazing at all the residents. “It’s great to see my friends and everyone come out. It really means a lot.”

His 10-year-old brother Gerry, who is in the fourth grade at the Batchelder School, stood nearby with his classmates.
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