Jul 9, 2008 10:46 am US/Central
Hero's Welcome For Wounded Illinois Soldier
Patrick Madison Of Mundelein Was Injured When Tank Caught Fire In Iraq
MUNDELEIN, Ill. (CBS) ―
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Neighbors in Mundelein planned a hero's welcome for Patrick Madison, who was wounded while serving in Iraq.
CBS
It's been a long journey home for Army Specialist Patrick Madison of Mundelein. The 20-year-old was injured in Iraq, and is now coming home after spending weeks at Walter Reed Medical Center.
As CBS 2's Pamela Jones reports, on Wednesday morning, the Madison home was bedecked with signs welcoming Patrick and honoring his older brother Mark, who is still in Iraq. The banners and flags at the home mark a happy ending to what could have easily been a tragedy for this family.
Madison was driving a tank when it burst into flames May 23. His family says the ammunition caught fire and began to explode all around him, but fortunately, Madison wasn't hit.
Now his community is rallying for his recovery, and gave him a homecoming fit for a hero.
Madison walked up his driveway with his mother Wednesday for the first time after being injured in Iraq.
"I'm glad to be home," he said.
Madison was driving a tank, returning from combat when the tank burned.
"Tank drivers are at the very bottom of the tank and it somehow got hit and he was in there for over three minutes with smoke inhalation," Patrick's father, Larry Madison, said.
Wednesday's celebration was all about healing. It started with police trailing the soldier and his dad in an SUV on a trumped-up traffic stop on the way from the airport Wednesday morning.
"I guess I was going too fast," Larry Madison said.
His son had no idea more police and firefighters would join him in procession through Vernon Hills to his family's home in Mundelein.
"I've been here 22 years and have never had the opportunity to welcome someone home, so this is a great experience for everybody here," said Deputy Chief Cameron Eugenis of the Mundelein Police Department.
Mundelein Village Administrator John Lobaito said, "It just gives us a great sense of pride, knowing that we have somebody that we count as one of our own coming back to our community."
Madison has seen a lot of tragedy while serving. Just 13 days before he was hurt, five of his comrades died when a suicide bomber attacked.
"I think our soldiers just need all the support that we can give them and that we need to reinvest in our country and make sure that we support America in any way that we can," said supporter Peggy Feinendegen.
Madison's been in the Army for two years. He's with the Delta Company 164 our of Fort Stewart.
"(Patrick is) actually the sixth child of our 12 children, and his older brother Mark joined the military about a year before him, and I think it was partly because (Mark) joined that he was excited to join too," Larry Madison said.
"For two days, he was in the hospital in Baghdad, and the Army has a heart – they actually flew his brother in from wherever he was in Baghdad or the other parts of Iraq to stay with him in the hospital for two days, then he shipped off to Germany for a couple of days, and he's been at Walter Reed for the last 30 days or so," Larry Madison said.
Plans for the celebration began just on Tuesday afternoon, when the Madisons received phone calls from people in the community who wanted to help. The celebration was planned as a complete surprise for Patrick.
(© MMX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
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