Marine relaxes at home after serving tour in Afghanistan
A month in West Liberty gave Cpl. Joshua Meade an opportunity to relax after serving nearly eight months on his first deployment to Afghanistan with the Marine Corp’s Combat Logistics Battalion 1 Support Co.
“I’m trying to be a civilian while I’m back,” said Meade, 27, the son of Rick and Joann Meade of West Liberty. “The haircut and the shave (are) about all I’ve stuck to … And, of course, manners and all that — how they want you to act.” Meade, a 2003 West Liberty High School graduate who joined the Marines three years ago, is a truck mechanic based at Camp Pendleton in California, where he will return Saturday. “To be honest, it’s just like any job,” he said of life on his home base. “I work on big trucks — anything with wheels. I don’t really work on tanks.” Life, however, was different at Camp Dwyer in Afghanistan, the Marine base and airfield in the Helmand River Valley. From there, Meade served as a floor chief in the convoys that traveled to forward operating bases to work on trucks in the field. “Every Marine is a rifleman. When you go on convoys, you have to know what you’re doing,” he said. “It wasn’t as bad as what we trained up for.” Still, it’s nice to come home after you’ve spent eight months in a war zone. A homecoming highlight for Meade was the hog roast his family and friends held on June 2 at the fire station in Atalissa. He wore his formal uniform — a blue jacket and pants with red trim — which dates back to the 19th century and is known by Marines as their Dress Blues. “I did that for my mom,” he said of his decision to wear his formal uniform to the party. In addition to his parents, Meade was joined at the party by his sister, Chelsea Meade and her boyfriend, xxxxxxx; his brother Jerry Meade, his wife, Alicia, and their daughter, Harlow. Karen Jedlicka, a second-grade teacher at West Liberty Elementary School, also attended the party. Her students adopted Meade during the past school year. They sent him a monthly package of letters, pictures and photos. “My students were excited to hear that Josh went to the same school as they do,” Jedkicka said. And the Marine was always happy to hear from the students. At Christmas, they sent him nearly 30 stockings filled with little gifts and treats. He shared all of it with his friends. “They got a kick out of it,” Meade said. “Christmas in Afghanistan isn’t very much fun.”
Article source: http://westlibertyindex.com/article.php?viewID=4655
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