Hugs, kisses, cheers and seven new babies greeted the officers and crew of the USS Thomas Hudner on Saturday as they returned home to Naval Station Mayport from the ship s maiden deployment
The Thomas Hudner was the first of a trio of Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyers scheduled to arrive over three days at the Navy base.
Shavon Echols drove from Athens, Ga., to welcome home her daughter, Shatoya Echols, a culinary specialist returning from her third deployment since joining the Navy in 2008.
Echols and her sister Yvette Mathis held up a homemade brightly colored banner reading Welcome Home We Missed You, Shatoya!!! that was decorated with a hand-drawn house. The sign was made by Mathis young daughter who stayed up till 2 a.m. to finish it, Echols said.
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