American flags snapped open in the wind as the planes landed and stopped before the screaming crowd. Tanned and triumphant, members of the 913th Tactical Airlift Group (TAG) poured out of the planes, hurrying to loved ones in a burst of tears and hugs.
Staff Sgt. Paul Clark scooped up sons Matthew and David, 7, and gave his wife a kiss. Then the two fatigue-clad youngsters clung to Clark's pantlegs as he held his 7-month-old son, Zachary.
Despite the sea of faces, Staff Sgt. Tom Furphy spotted his girlfriend, Sue Remick, right away. Furphy rushed over, quickly touched the tarmac and scooped up Remick without missing a beat.
"She was the prettiest one there," he said of his girlfriend of three years. The Northeast Philadelphia couple exchanged more than 100 letters during their separation.
And while absence can make the heart grow fonder, it also continued to make Furphy cautious. He shunned questions about marriage as his family chuckled and Remick blushed. "We'll date for three more years," he said.
Staff Sgt. Yvonne Lee was reunited with Chico, a tan and white Chihauhua that sported a green sweater that read "super dog."
"This is my baby," Lee said, giving the pooch a hug. "It's good to be back," the Mount Airy native said, looking at family members that greeted her.
Four months ago, Lt. Col. Allen Cohen believed he would miss college graduation ceremonies for his twin daughters. The Warminster resident returned with one month to spare.
"I guess I'll be going - as long as their grades are up," Cohen said, with a teasing glance at daughters Cynthia and Elizabeth.
Like Cohen, a chief navigator with the TAG, most of the reservists hold civilian jobs at the Willow Grove air station and are expected to receive two- weeks leave as recovery time.
