Les Thornton, a 1997 McIntosh High School graduate stationed in Iraq

for the war on terrorism, has been overwhelmed with support during his

visit here.

When his mother was unable to secure a golf cart for him to ride in

the parade, he was invited to ride alongside Mayor Steve Brown. In restaurants,

people have bought him drinks and patted him on the back for the job

he's doing.

"That means a lot to me, it truly does," said Thornton, who

is stationed at Fort Operating Base Speicher, just west of Tikrit. He

was skeptical about how U.S. citizens would receive him, particularly

in light of media accounts of the imprisoned combatants who were abused

I go back out there."

Thornton is in flight operations for the AH-64 Apache Helicopters, tracking

flights much like an air traffic controller and helping coordinate support

for air strikes when necessary.

Duty has put Thornton in the line of fire "numerous times," with

his unit being shot at by Iraqi resistors, but he can't go into

details because of the classified nature of the operations, he said.

Thornton also noted his unit "travels a lot."

Thornton said he has also been surprised how he has been well-received

"I've gotten a lot of hugs," Thornton said.

He recalled sharing Gatorade with Iraqi citizens who have never been

exposed to the sports drink. "The expressions on their faces were

unbelieveable. They called it 'water with fruit.'"

Thornton and his wife, the former Stacy Gohsmon (a Sandy Creek High

School graduate), have a son, Les Jr. Thornton found out on Father's

Day that he was granted a short leave home.

"It was probably the best Father's Day present I'll ever

get," Thornton said. He has to return to Iraq Monday; he hopes to

return home in the spring, but much depends on how the situation in Iraq

develops.

Coming