Preceded by a piper, a color guard and the Boy Scouts, Navy Cmdr. Michael Flatley and family walked down the street he lives on to the cheers of a grateful flag-waving crowd.
Cmdr. Flatley, a 16-year Navy veteran, returning from his third tour in Iraq, was carrying his 5-year old daughter Riley, and returning the waves of the crowd. Also with him were his wife, Emily and other children, Sean 12 and Kailey 9. When Flatley stopped near his home, the people crowded around to hear him speak.
“Until you go away and come back you don’t realize what a great country we have," he said. "We are blessed to have this country. It’s a team effort. I could not do this without the support of my wife and family and friends.”
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Emily, a seasoned military wife, said, “It feels wonderful to have him home. It’s been a long year. Now we leave for Texas in August.”
“I just have two things to say: Welcome home and thank you,” said Anne McLaughlin, who planned this homecoming ceremony.
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Earlier in the year many East Hampton residents voiced concerns that war veterans were coming home without any notice. It was felt this showed a lack of respect and honor for the sacrifices and risks that these soldiers were making. Inspired by her grandson, Sgt. Arron M. McLaughlin, a Purple Heart recipient, who recently returned to East Hampton from Afghanistan, Ann McLaughlin put together a plan for a Yellow Ribbon Welcome Home Program to honor these soldiers when they returned.
Sgt. McLaughlin is the honorary chairperson of the East Hampton Yellow Ribbon Welcome Home Committee. He continues to serve his country as a Mortar Fire Direction Chief HHC with the 1-102 Infantry Regiment, 86th IBCT (Mountain) of the Army National Guard in New Haven.
Later in the summer, there will be another ceremony when Cmdr. Flatley will cut the yellow ribbon with his name on it off the tree in the Village Center.
McLaughlin is to be congratulated for giving the residents of East Hampton a medium by which they can show their gratitude for the service of the military personnel.
