By Daniel Hartill,Staff Writer

LEWISTON – For the returning soldiers’ journey home, the last 100 yards were the longest.

As a sergeant circulated among the ranks outside the Lewiston High School gym, the combat-seasoned men and women of Charlie Company stiffened.

“It’s going to be loud in there,” the sergeant barked. From the gym echoed “Born in the U.S.A.”

A minute later, the 100-plus soldiers walked inside in single file and were greeted like the Beatles.

The standing-room-only crowd rose to its feet and cheered.

Among them were about 20 family members of Sgt. 1st Class Normand Roy of Lewiston, for whom the family had raised a wall-sized banner. Another 23 came for Spc. Michael Danse, whose image they wore on T-shirts.

And for Spc. Christian Duchette of Turner, at least 30 friends and family came, each wearing clothing of blaze orange to get Duchette’s attention.

“We didn’t even tell him,” said his wife, Sarah. “But he’ll know it’s us.”

As the soldiers walked in, they formed up like they had so many times.

This time, however, they were home.

The soldiers, part of the 133rd Engineer Battalion of the Maine Army National Guard, spent the last year in Iraq.

Their work sent them across rural northern Iraq and into the city of Mosul. They built medical clinics and other structures for the U.S. military, and when the country held its election on Jan. 30, soldiers from Charlie Company helped make them safe.

The unit returned to America last week, landing at Fort Drum, N.Y., on Feb. 24. Since then, the soldiers have been attending briefings and completing paperwork, and they have been wanting to come home to their friends and family.

Many of the guardsmen’s families and friends were at the Lewiston school, where they had begun decorating hours before the troops arrived.

Amy Hovey of Turner and Priscilla Hebert of Turner hung banners, raised balloons and put up stars on the walls.

Elaine Greene and JoAnn Miller of Freeport, known simply as “The Freeport Flag Ladies,” came, waving flags and dressed in matching flag-colored blouses.

“We were here when they left, waving our flags,” Miller said. “We wanted to be here when they returned.”

The soldiers left Fort Drum around 7:30 a.m.. When their three chartered buses reached the Maine border, they were greeted by state police, who escorted them the rest of the way.

The buses arrived at the high school shortly after 4 p.m.

As the troops piled out, Gen. John Libby, adjutant general of the Maine National Guard, greeted each one.

He shook their hands and hugged a few. When several tried to salute, he shrugged them off.

“Quit the saluting guys,” he said.

Libby, who has attended as many Maine homecomings as possible, said each one is important.

“As a Vietnam guy, I came back without anything,” he said. He and other Vietnam veterans pledged never to make that mistake again.

Besides Friday’s welcome, soldiers will also be given a freedom salute ceremony in about three months. Officers hope to gather all the battalion’s troops for the traditional event, featuring bands and dignitaries giving speeches.

However, there were no speeches on Friday.

When the soldiers came in, there were a few welcoming remarks. Then, the crowd’s favorite order came.

“Dismissed!” shouted a voice.

The crowd filling the bleachers ran to the floor, where the soldiers still stood.

People clustered around the troops, who still wore their desert camouflage.

Families kept apart by the war held each other.

A few minutes later, Sgt. 1st Class Roy stood with his whole family, his wife, children and in-laws, and he marveled at the welcome.

“It was breathtaking,” the platoon leader said.

Like every other member of the company, he was happy when he arrived in the United States last week at Fort Drum.

However, this is home.