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Welcoming back the troops

bobwelch23

Until Friday, I’d never watched a soldiers’ homecoming before. I highly recommend it. When you see hundreds of soldiers and thousands of family members reuniting, it personalizes the reality of war. It humbles you. It warms you to see the joy — and grieves you to know that not everybody comes home in a bus. Some are carried out of the belly of a C-17 at Dover Air Base with a flag on their casket.

Flags were everywhere at the Lane County Fairgrounds in my hometown, Eugene, Ore. And proud relatives wearing “Proud Grandfather of a Soldier” and “Welcome home, Brandon” shirts.

As the eight buses arrived at 11:25 a.m., a motorcycle brigade in front, it reminded me of football teams arriving for a game — or home from a game. A few months back, when I called football players “heroes,” a reader chastised me. That, he said, was overstating it. I thought he was overreacting.

But as I watched the soldiers get off those buses, as I was reminded of the hell many have been though, as I saw them hug their loved ones, I realized this:

The man was right. Football players are minor-league stuff. These are the real heroes.

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Traeshon Holden apology after spitting incident in Ohio State game:

“I want to sincerely apologize for my actions during our recent game. My actions were not only disrespectful but also a betrayal of the values of sportsmanship, integrity, and respect that I strive to embody as a student-athlete. To my Oregon family, I am truly sorry for letting you down. You have shown me the importance of teamwork, discipline, and respect, and my actions in that moment did not reflect these core principles. I recognize that this has negatively affected our team’s reputation, and I deeply regret putting us in that situation.

“To Ohio State, I offer my sincerest apologies for my behavior. It was completely unacceptable and a momentary lapse in judgment. I want to emphasize that this incident does not reflect who I am as a person or the values I aim to uphold. Moving forward, I am committed to making meaningful changes, not only in managing my emotions during competition both in setting a better example for my teammates and the broader community. I am determined to demonstrate growth and maturity, both on and off the field, and I hope to earn back the trust of those I’ve let down.

“This incident has been a valuable lesson, and I am dedicated to becoming a better player, teammate, and a positive role model in our community.”

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