The Right Way to Welcome Home a Hero
One very humble Smithtown soldier, got a surprise welcome home of his life yesterday. On Saturday, August 29th, Smithtown residents, along with the Nesconset Fire Department, The Patriot Guard Riders and the Blue Star Moms, united together with the Williams family to welcome home their son; US Army Specialist, Ryan Mauldin.
The Smithtown High School East Graduate enlisted in the Army, in 2013. In Fall of the following year, Mauldin was deployed to Afghanistan with the 101st Airborne Air Assault Division, one the most highly decorated units in the United States Army. After a nine month tour of service in Afghanistan, the hometown hero has returned home on leave for the week.
When he first saw fire trucks, Army Specialist Mauldin believed there was an accident on his street. As he continued up the block, Ryan saw his neighbors, friends and family in a flag line, Veterans rendering a hand salute, two fire truck ladders extended to raise a giant American flag and his mother running toward him with open arms. Ryan looked to his older brother Kyle, still in awe of the unexpected greeting, who simply whispered,” this is all for you, bro.”
The real way to welcome home a hero who volunteered to serve his country, was orchestrated by Maureen Williams; one very proud and grateful super-mom.
“I thought the nine months pregnant with Ryan and his twin brother, were the longest of my life. But each minute of each day my son was deployed, stretched on and felt like an eternity. Words can’t express what it means to have him home today.. so I had to try and show him!” – Maureen Williams
Joanie Terciak, Mary Ann Barcellona, Lisa and Jenn Ryan, Nicole DePalo and Peggy Dinkelman were just a few of the Long Island Blue Star Moms who were overjoyed to be with Maureen on the day she’d be reunited with her Son.
“As a mother, you just sense if something is wrong with your child, no matter the distance apart. That’s why we’re here for each other… to help explain what to expect, good and bad, no matter the outcome, in addition to looking out for the needs of our Veterans and current Military. So to be here with Maureen on this joyous day… well, it’s what we hope and live for.” – Joanie Terciak, Long Island Blue Star Moms
After the surprise parade of patriotic support and praise for SPC Ryan Mauldin, family and friends headed to the backyard for a barbecue. Photos of Mauldin were displayed for all to see as well as a special Welcome Home poster, signed by all the guests. SPC Ryan Mauldin told Smithtown Today that he still couldn’t believe all the support and praise was for him. The local hero is looking forward to having the week on leave at home. Mauldin is hoping to spend some time out east on the beach and possibly have some fun in the city.
In closing, our team at Smithtown Today would like to formally welcome home US Army Specialist Ryan Mauldin. We applaud the family, friends and members of the community who honored Mauldin in a such spectacular way that should be considered the norm, when welcoming home a soldier. We also would like to thank Maureen Williams and family for welcoming us into her home and making our editor feel like family. Finally, we wish Specialist Mauldin a wonderful week on leave, safe travels back to duty and with the anticipation he will return home safely once more.