Family members reunited with their loved ones from the 224th Engineers

ALBANY — For Sandi Leonard of Sweet Home, Saturday’s return of an Albany National Guard unit was more than just a homecoming.

It was the day that made her family complete again.

Leonard, a mother of nine, was readying to welcome her third and final son home from Iraq. She had the red T-shirt with the unit motto — “Blades deep!!” — emblazoned across the front. She had her yellow ribbon. Four of her daughters joined their mother. Now all she needed was her son, Jeffrey.

They gathered with other families and friends of the men and women of the Oregon Army National Guard’s 224th Engineer Company at the Barenbrug Seed warehouse off Highway 34 early Saturday afternoon.

Members of the unit hail from all over Oregon and southern Washington. The group was scheduled to return today but arrived a day early. Their plane was scheduled to land in Eugene at 2:40 p.m. Saturday, but it, too, arrived early.

Still, the hour between the time the family readiness group assembled in the parking lot to the moment the three buses carrying the unit passed by on their way to Timber-Linn Memorial Park was excruciating.

“I didn’t know how emotional I would be,” Leonard said, her eyes watery but not allowing herself to cry.

Then a posse of Harley-Davidson riders, along with a convoy of local law enforcement vehicles, could be heard. They had been escorting the troops from the Eugene Airport, where they landed at about 2:10 p.m. As the procession passed Barenbrug Seed, the onlookers cheered, then ran to their cars and raced to meet the Guard unit at Timber-Linn.

Leonard last saw her son Jeffrey in February, when he was home on leave. He surprised her with a dinner out on Valentine’s Day.

Jeffrey’s father, Joe Leonard, is a disabled Vietnam War veteran. He could not attend the celebration due to mobility limitations.

The unit buses and caravan of onlookers poured into Timber-Linn Memorial Park at the same time.

Children screamed “Daddy!” and spouses ran to greet their loved ones the moment the unit was released.

Spc. Leonard hugged his mom.

He then embraced his sisters Heidi, Emily, Becky and Sarah Lynn and said he was “glad to be back in a free country” and most excited to see his family.

The unit’s demobilization ceremony is scheduled for 2 p.m. Wednesday at the Linn County Fair & Expo Center.

224th Engineer Company

Capt. Marc Michael Mouser, Camas, Wash.

1st Lt. Robert Vaughn Gamble, Clackamas

2nd Lt. Kenneth Rufus Condon, Salem

2nd Lt. Jeremiah Nathaniel Beckert, Monmouth

1st Sgt, Michael Frank Amen, Portland

Sgt. 1st Class Michael Sean Bright, Prineville

Sgt. 1st Class Derek Joel Fanning, Harrisburg

Sgt. 1st Class Kevin Lee Jacobson, Astoria

Sgt. 1st Class Lisa Ann Mesteth, Canby

Sgt. 1st Class Johnny Ray Sampley, Prineville

Staff Sgt. Robert Jeffrey Gill, Albany

Staff Sgt. Robert Timothy Hale, Oregon City

Staff Sgt. Daniel Landis Hicks, Toledo

Staff Sgt. Marvin Ellsworth Jenson Jr., Hermiston

Staff Sgt. Edward Anthony Lewis, Redmond

Staff Sgt. Raymond Lloyd Noble, Salem

Staff Sgt. Jason Luke Obersinner, Lincoln City

Staff Sgt. Richard Ramirez, Albany

Staff Sgt. David Neville Richardson, Albany

Sgt. Justin Everett Aldrich, Bend

Sgt. Timothy Alan Bolte, Newberg

Sgt. Dennis Michael Brophy Jr., Redmond

Sgt. John Karl Browning, Kelso, Wash.

Sgt. Michael Don Carr, Lakeside

Sgt. Joseph Franklin Cassetty, Gresham

Sgt. Patrick Scott Dodson, Newport

Sgt. Daniel James Dormer, Prineville

Sgt. James Kevin Eatwell, Albany

Sgt. Devin Wendell Fields, Milton-Freewater

Sgt. Daniel Edward Grist, Prineville

Sgt. Christopher William Jones, Astoria

Sgt. Matthew Allen Levi Keating, Portland

Sgt. Brandon James Kittleson, Springfield

Sgt. Scott Michael Lukesic, Salem

Sgt. James Windsor Mikell, Portland

Sgt. Richard Joseph Miller, Jefferson

Sgt. Robert Luther Morse, Aumsville

Sgt. Brandon Lloyd Pedigo, Silverton

Sgt. Kevin Daniel Phelps, Salem

Sgt. James Randall Pollnow, Independence

Sgt. Patrick Kyle Pomeroy, Dallas

Sgt. Casey Ray Renfro, Albany

Sgt. Ryan Christopher Rensmeyer, Corvallis

Sgt. James Andrew Ruks, Seaside

Sgt. Tracy Shawn Sherwood, Happy Valley

Sgt. Matthew Monroe Shoemaker, Monroe

Sgt. Jeffrey D. Tomchak, Eugene

Sgt. Jacob Isaac Truex, Albany

Spc. Ronald Frederick Abbott, Sweet Home

Spc. Gregorio Abrajan, Salem

Spc. Crystal Jade Adams, Coos Bay

Spc. Jonathan Dale Asher, Redmond

Spc. Wesley Garrett Barnhouse, Alsea

Spc. Raymond Martin Barrientos, Sandy

Spc. Joshua Douglas Bielemeier, Hood River

Spc. Brendan Jeffrey Bowes, Eugene

Spc. Victor Lee Brunkal, Salem

Spc. Benjamin Harrison Clapp, Lake Oswego

Spc. Michael William Coker, Albany

Spc. Robert Cary Cole, North Bend

Spc. Gary Patrick Conner II, Salem

Spc. Aaron Kyle Cooper, Newport

Spc. Todd James Egan, Springfield

Spc. Joseph Peter Farrior, Salem

Spc. Christopher Stephen Furness, Ocean Shores

Spc. Thomas Melvin Gaylor, Tangent

Spc. Michael Lauren Hergenroeder, John Day

Spc. Brian Monroe Jamison, Albany

Spc. Cody Ernest Jones, Philomath

Spc. Matthew Howard Kirkman, Dallas

Spc. Paul Jordan Lafranchise, Corvallis

Spc. Christopher Todd Lambert, Albany

Spc. Lafe Robert Ledbetter, Grand Ronde

Spc. Jeffrey Douglas Leonard, Albany

Spc. Blake Leeland Lusted, John Day

Spc. Leslie John Lyons, Albany

Spc. Andrew Ivan McCready, Lebanon

Spc. Aaron Michael Tikka Miller, Prineville

Spc. Mark Allen Moll, Albany

Spc. Marcus John Mooney, Baker City

Spc. David Berkeley Nelson, Salem

Spc. Lowell Drew Pearson, Springfield

Spc. Kenneth John Pittman, Pendleton

Spc. Donald Eugene Ringlebauer, Wishram, Wash.

Spc. Keith Michael Schwalk-Burke, Salem

Spc. Ted Allen Thornley II, Albany

Spc. Adam Price White, Bend

Spc. Joseph Edward Whitney, Florence

Pfc. Brian Keith Bullard, Beaverton

Pfc. Joseph Edward Clark, Silver Creek

Pfc. Peter John Croco, Lebanon

Pfc. Roy Luis Esquivel, Salem

Pfc. Emilie Ann Goodling, Washougal, Wash.

Pfc. Kevin Paul Gower, Stayton

Pfc. David Alan Green, Hillsboro

Pfc. Michael John Humphrey, Pendleton

Pfc. Joshua Walter Hunking, Salem

Pfc. Joshua Dale Hunter, Portland

Pfc. Michael Anthony Payne, Salem

Pfc. Timothy Brandon Pintarelli, Troutdale

Pfc. Carl Bryan Rhodes, Wilsonville

Pfc. Roxanna Marie Roth, Albany

Pfc. Daniel Andrew Scott, Sweet Home

Pfc. Joaquin Bennett Waldroop, Toledo

Pvt. Richard W. Christensen, Salem

Pvt. Juan Delhorno, Salem

Pvt. Devin Lee Deswert, Portland

Pvt. Stephanie Sara Dompier, Sweet Home

Pvt. Vincent John Early, Pendleton

Pvt. Richard Lawrence Gay, Springfield

Pvt. Benjamin Joseph Harbour, Vancouver, Wash.

Pvt. Joseph Charles Herbaugh, Columbia

Pvt. Cooper Ray Huffman, Lebanon

Pvt. Gary Jay Pfleider II, Lebanon

Pvt. Robert Harold Pickett Jr., Albany

Pvt. Cody Wayne Redfearn, Toledo

Pvt. Duncan Kyle Schneider, Canby

Pvt. Kristopher Wayne Troy, Albany

Pvt. Chad Lane Walker, Springfield