WCAX.COM Local Vermont News, Weather and Sports-Hero's Welcome for Hyde Park Soldier

Hero's Welcome for Hyde Park Soldier

Hyde Park, Vermont - June 27, 2009

A soldier from Hyde Park got a heroes welcome Saturday morning. U.S. Army Private First Class Andrew Parker was the star of a parade that spanned over several towns.

They lined the highway from Morrisville to Hyde Park. Some held flags. Others stood on street corners and in front of businesses holding homemade signs. And a few stood at attention, silently saluting Andrew Parker as he passed by.

"I got chills running up and down my spine, when he came by up the drive. I was actually crying," said Bert Thompson of Johnson.

Parker finally returned home for good Saturday. The 21-year-old has spent most of the last six and a half months in hospitals, recovering from an explosion that nearly claimed his life. Parker was hit by a roadside bomb while on duty in Afghanistan, paralyzing him from the waist down.

"This is a big day," said Winnie Barnes, Parker's mother. "He's given a lot, and we just wanted to be here to be a part of his experience and give back."

"It's special because everybody's missed him, and his parents miss him, so it's a special thing," said Jacob Benoit of Hyde Park.

And this community has been behind Parker every step of the way. Volunteers have spent the last several months raising more than a hundred thousand dollars to remodel the family's home, making it handicap accessible. His mother says that kind of support is hard to even comprehend. "It still boggles my mind. It still blows me away, that they came this far with us," she said.

But the gifts don't end there. The community had a few last surprises for Andrew Parker. Norwich University and Johnson State are offering him free tuition so he can achieve his goal of becoming a history teacher. "I didn't expect that. No one told us that at all, so it was amazing." Parker said.

But the biggest surprise -- a 100-thousand dollar check from friends and strangers. It's a community bound and determined to stand beside their hero every step of the way.

Keagan Harsha -  WCAX News