Kraig Bowen gives a last minute hug to his children Katelyn and Kaleb as he is about to leave for Iraq with the rest of the 199th Support Battalion of the Louisiana National Guard's 256th Division on Thursday afternoon 4/29/03 in St. Martinville Louisiana.
Family members and close friends of the six soldiers killed in action on 1/6/05 watch as the caskets are unloaded from a military transport plane on Wednesday 1/12/05 at the Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base Belle Chase. Lydia Babin wipes tears from her eyes during the ceremony, her husband Chasse Babin was one of the soldiers killed.
Sgt. Ryan LeJeune can't wait to get through the gates and hanger before he kisses his fiancee Christie Caballero at England Airpark in Alexandria on Thursday afternoon 9/29/05 as more members of the 256th Louisiana National Guard return from Iraq.
Ashley Champagne gives a long awaited kiss to her boyfriend Lance Corp. Al Boudreaux as the 23rd TOW Platoon arrives at Lafayette Regional Airport on Wednesday afternoon 3/30/05. A huge crowd is on hand to greet the Marines. Bernard Bonnecaze (left) of the Marine Corp League salutes as Tammy Boudreaux, Al's mother (pink) waits for her hug.
Russell Fallco gets a big hug from his sister Madison Smith as he returns home from Iraq with the 256th.
Tiffiny Comeaux sits in a hanger at the Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base hanger in Belle Chasse Louisiana on January 12, 2005 as a transport plane with the body of her husband Kurt Comeaux of Raceland Louisiana and five other Louisiana National Guardsmen is about to unload.
Some don't want to let go of loved ones as the Louisiana National Guard makes preperations to leave for Texas and then on to Iraq.
