We had the great honor to join Alisha Lawson and Ken & Lisa Crabtree to welcome home her husband and his stepson, Billy Lawson, 24, from Iraq.

Billy is in the U.S. Marine Corps as a Pfc. and has just returned home for a short visit after 7 months in the sand pile. He will be returning to Iraq, so the SE Texas Patriot Guard met him for dinner and to thank him for his service and dedication to defending our freedom.

Billy graduated from Oak Ridge High School where he played varsity football in his junior and senior years. He attended Danna College in Nebraska, receiving a football scholarship and received the President's Club Award and a scholarship for academics.

He and Alisha were married this past July before his deployment to Iraq.

Most of these words were written by Larry (Breeze) Ormand. I just copied them because I didn't know all this stuff. What I do know is that I am truly honored to meet another of our American Heros.