Seventy-five soldiers were welcomed home at the N.J. Army National Guard’s Lawrenceville Armory on Eggerts Crossing Road on Friday.
By: Lea Kahn
Evangelista Evangelista has always prided himself on being tough and unemotional.
But when Mr. Evangelista’s daughter, N.J. Army National Guard Spc. Eleanor Evangelista, walked past him at a special ceremony for troops returning home from Afghanistan on Friday afternoon, he broke down and wept.
"I thought I was a strong guy," Mr. Evangelista said. "I was concerned about my daughter. I couldn’t sleep. I would hear her call, ‘Daddy,’ but then I would wake up and I couldn’t go back to sleep."
Spc. Evangelista was among 75 soldiers who were welcomed home at the N.J. Army National Guard’s Lawrenceville Armory on Eggerts Crossing Road on Friday. The soldiers had completed a yearlong tour and were being released from active duty.
The 23-year-old Vineland resident was in the middle of her senior year at Richard Stockton State College when her unit the 250th Personnel Services Detachment was called up for active duty in January 2006. The unit handled all military record keeping while they served in Afghanistan.
"I got thrown off a little bit (by being called up), but it was a worthwhile experience," she said. "I’m happy. I’m a 23-year-old veteran, and not everyone can say that. It was a once-in-a-lifetime experience. I was proud to serve."
Family members, friends and well-wishers lined Eggerts Crossing Road for the special parade to greet Spc. Evangelista and the rest of the soldiers in the 50th Personnel Services Battalion and its 250th Personnel Services Detachment.
Yellow ribbons, each bearing a returning soldier’s name, were tied to small stakes pounded into the ground along the road. A large American flag hung over top of the street, and family members waved posters with their soldier’s name on it.
The Lawrence High School Red Scare marching band led the parade. Police cars from 10 Mercer County municipal police departments, including Lawrence Township, followed.
Fire engines from the Lawrenceville and Lawrence Road fire companies joined the parade, along with fire engines from the Trenton Fire Department and Ewing Township’s Prospect Heights Fire Department.
A contingent of Boy Scouts from Boy Scout Troop 27 in Lawrence also marched.
Then came the soldiers in a long line, marching two abreast. Some wore somber expressions others smiled, shouted out to family members and waved to the crowd.
Inside the armory, a phalanx of state, county and local politicians led by Gov. Jon Corzine formed a receiving line to greet the soldiers. Maj. Gen. Glenn K. Rieth, the adjutant general of the New Jersey Army National Guard, and Brig. Gen. Maria Falca-Dodson, the deputy adjutant general, also stood in the line.
The crowd cheered and clapped as each soldier’s name was announced. The soldiers shook hands with Gov. Corzine and the other political figures and then took their seats for the rest of the ceremony.
"This is a happy day," Gov. Corzine told the audience. "We are so thrilled to have you home. The people of New Jersey I have to speak for them are so proud of what you have done."
Mayor Gregory Puliti also greeted the soldiers and thanked them for their service and "most of all, for keeping us in freedom every single day."
Gen. Rieth recalled the ceremony "427 days ago" on Jan. 6, 2006 at the Lawrenceville Armory when he and then Gov.-elect Corzine sent the 50th Personnel Services Battalion and the 250th Personnel Services Detachment off to active duty. All of those seen off over a year ago returned safely.
"Welcome home," Gen. Rieth said Friday. "You have to be excited. This is your day. Each and every one of you has made a contribution. I know I will personally sleep better tonight knowing that you are home."
"Make no mistake," he said. "The ceremony is not just for the soldiers. It’s for all of the spouses and children. Each and every one of you has served by supporting the soldiers while they were overseas."
Lt. Col. Walter Alvarado, unit commander, also praised the soldiers for their efforts. The soldiers fanned out across Afghanistan to perform their duties at 54 military bases, including handling 15 million pounds of mail.
"You can’t put a price on it," Lt. Col. Alvarado said. "But most important, you all returned safely to your loved ones. Military leaders have an obligation to bring all of their soldiers back safely."
One of the soldiers presented Gen. Rieth with an American flag, embroidered with the name and rank of every soldier who returned Friday. The flag had been flown in Afghanistan on Sept. 11, 2006.
Then came the one word every soldier waited for.
"Dismissed," Lt. Col. Alvarado said.

