Indiana National Guards return after 6 members killed

Guard unit that lost 6 back from Afghanistan: 'It's been a long year'
Chicago Tribune
Associated Press
September 27, 2012

An Indiana National Guard unit that lost six of its members during an almost yearlong deployment in Afghanistan returned to Indiana Wednesday in a tearful, hug-filled reunion with friends and family.

More than 80 members of the Valparaiso-based 713th Engineer Company were greeted by about 300 relatives and friends when they arrived at the Gary Army Aviation Support Facility.

The hangar erupted in cheers as the door rose to reveal the returning soldiers.

"It's overwhelming, it's great," said Capt. Cecil Pendleton III. "It's been a long year.''

"It didn't feel real until I had him in my arms," said his wife, Rachel Pendleton. "I'm so happy for all the families. They went through a lot in Afghanistan, and we went through a lot at home."

The six deaths made the deployment the most deadly for a unit in the history of the Indiana National Guard.
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