Today, the little town of Jacksonville, Ala., pressed “pause” to welcome home Marine Sgt. Ben Tomlinson. The downtown square was decked out with American flags and banners, hundreds of people lined the streets, National Guardsmen gave salute, elementary students filled the town, high schoolers stood outside their school with a wave of welcome, and police and fire fighters turned out en masse — all to pay tribute to a brave soldier who was wounded and paralyzed in Afghanistan on May 1, 2010. Perhaps only in small town America can we still witness life coming to a halt, if only for a moment, to give thanks to one young man who risked his life for his country. Read the full story here or see a slideshow from today’s ceremony.
Photos by The Anniston Star
