I just returned home from running a couple of errands and grabbing some lunch. As I walked into Coronado Village, the first thing I noticed was that the flags were out. For every patriotic holiday, the Coronado Rotary has a team that places flags in the medians all along Orange Avenue and now at the re-designed Rotary Plaza. It really is quite an impressive sight.

Today is March 26th…for a moment I couldn’t figure out why the flags were out. It is my brother’s birthday (Happy Birthday Bill!), but as much as I love him, that doesn’t warrant the flags.

Then it hit me, the Nimitz was back home in Coronado after an 8 month deployment. The Nimitz and its strike group of three ships houses 7,000 sailors, so this was quite a homecoming.

The return of a ship to the North Island Naval Base is always a cause for great joy and a lot of commotion in Coronado.

The streets are filled with naval men and women in uniform, happily escorted by family and friends. Welcome home signs abound in storefront windows and banners adorn many houses.

Eight months is not an eternity, but it is a long time away from family and friends. A long time in the life and growth of a child. A long time of a single Mom taking care of the family’s daily life by herself. A long time to miss out on all of the little and big events in loved ones lives.

Seeing two little ones with their “Welcome Home Nimitz” t-shirts, holding their father’s hand and looking up at him adoringly in his dark blue uniform brought home even more the sacrifice that our military make.

To everyone on the Nimitz and their strike group and to all the family and friends who support them, thank you for all that you do and sacrifice on the behalf of Americans everywhere. And welcome home!