We would like to welcome home our troops from Iraq

As the first city to welcome home the troops from Iraq on Saturday, January 28, 2012, St Louis, Missouri was the first city to do so. There were tens of thousands of people waving American flags and cheering along the streets of downtown St. Louis Saturday morning, so many that Maj. Rich Radford was moved by how many braved a cold January wind to come to St. Louis to honor people like him: those who served in the Iraq War.

The Welcome Home Heroes Parade included more than 80 floats, two marching bands and the Budweiser Clydesdales.  The parade began at noon Saturday at Kiener Plaza and ended at Union Station with a Veterans Resource Center set-up inside.

People waived American flags and cheered "thank you" as veterans made their way down Market.  People also held up Welcome Home signs.

It was inspiring to sit there while I was taking photos and watching the children to senior citizens smiling, waving and yelling "welcome home" at the troops as they past by. It was a day I will not forget.