Two days of bittersweet Marine homecomings

BROOK PARK, Ohio - The home of a Marine Corps battalion that lost 48 members in Iraq hung out red, white and blue bunting Wednesday as the Cleveland suburb prepared to welcome the unit home after seven months overseas.

City crews hung the bunting and a welcoming banner on a recreation center, where Marines of Headquarters & Service Company of the 3rd Battalion, 25th Marines will have private reunions with family members Thursday.

Most of the Marines returned from Iraq to Camp Lejeune, N.C., last week.

U.S. flags were displayed along the homecoming parade route from Cleveland Hopkins International Airport to the nearby recreation center. At the Brook Park Child Care Center, youngsters were busy Wednesday coloring a welcome home poster.

Homecomings are planned Friday for 3rd Battalion units based in Akron and Columbus. The battalion also has units in Buffalo, N.Y., and Moundsville, W.Va.

The 1,000-member battalion was activated Jan. 4 and went to Iraq in March.

The battalion's deaths included 14 Marines killed in back-to-back attacks within a week during the summer. Another 150 members of the unit were wounded.