Welcoming home our heroes

As the clock ticked closer to 7:30 Saturday night, the crowd inside Salisbury Airport gradually grew, almost all awaiting the return of a few of Salisbury’s heroes, Pvt. Cody Phillips and Pvt. Angie Peacock.

Once through the doors Phillips made a beeline for his mother, while Peacock picked up her son Jayden in a tearful embrace.

“The second I locked eyes on my mom, I didn’t see anybody else,” Phillips said. “I just ran up to her… it’s ridiculous. I saw my mom and that’s my best friend. I darted I… I couldn’t handle it.”

Phillips and Peacock returned from basic training after entering the United States Army.

As a way of showing appreciation, local non-profit organization Operation We Care coordinated the welcome home event, gathering over 70 people within the small confines of the arrivals area of the airport.

Basic training has brought Phillips and Peacock back stronger people according to them.

“It’s fun, it’s tough, it’s challenging, but it’s a great reward,” Peacock said.

“For the most part basic isn’t all that bad for me, honestly,” Phillips said. “I keep it together and I try to keep everybody else together.”

For Peacock, although the time away was well spent, it wasn’t easy being away from
Jared.

“I missed him, it’s been about four months, so it feels really good,” Peacock said while holding Jared.

Phillips later admitted, the emotion of seeing all the people cheering for him put him almost at a loss for words.

“It’s crazy… I’ve never felt anything like it before. I’ve never had this feeling before. I don’t know how to describe it. I’m happy… I don’t know what the word… ecstatic is. I’m ecstatic,” Phillips said.

For Operation We Care founder Jeff Merritt, it was the reactions of Phillips and Peacock that he said continues to inspire him to put on such events.

“When you see the reunion of family members that’s what it’s all about,” Merritt said. “Especially right now, it’s Christmas time.”