Sergeant welcomed home in Stratford

STRATFORD, N.J. - September 3, 2010 (WPVI) -- There was applause in Stratford, New Jersey as Sgt. Evan Graham was welcomed home.

In one of many stops, his procession of fire trucks and motorcycles paused to admire a new town sign honoring Graham's return from his second tour of duty in Afghanistan.

"Overwhelming. I like it," Sgt. Graham said.

Before the hoopla kicked off, the sign was spruced up with balloons by the sergeant's mother. Cathy Graham said this past year had been hard.

"You don't know unless you're a parent. I mean, you're so overwhelmed, you just don't know how to say thank you to the neighbors and all the kind people and just that he's coming home and I'm a mom," Cathy said.

That love and relief was echoed by other family who showed up by Sgt. Graham's side.

"It feels great, I can't even explain, I'm so happy," Evan's sister Kim said.

"I'm ecstatic, it's been such a long period of time," Evan's father Edward said.

"It was tough that whole year. I was sick literally every single day, but it's amazing to have him back home now," Evan's fiancée Genna Cajio said.

After a final six months at Fort Bragg, Sgt. Graham intends to return to Stratford and make a civilian life as a police officer and volunteer firefighter.

"Two deployments, three Purple Hearts, I'm done," Evan said.

This weekend, Evan Graham will celebrate being back home and in two weeks, another big bash, when he gets married.

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