"It's good to be home," he said during an interview in The Leader office on Monday, Aug. 20.

"If you want to know about heros, talk to my family," he said. "They're my heros. "I can't say Ôthanks' enough to my wife and my family and the people this town. It was just amazing."

His parents, Larry and Marlene Kalkaska, his wife Nona, their six children, seven grandchildren and his sisters were among those who welcomed him home on Saturday, Aug. 18.

Wells came home with a purple heart and an army accommodation in his possession.

"I'm not good with awards," he said. "I just did a job I was asked to do. I was very blessed to live up here with the wife I had and thought it was time to pay back those blessings." Wells also said that his employer, Arrow Energy in Kalkaska provided support.

"I want to thank George Molski, owner of Arrow Energy and the employees there," he said. "They made sure that my wife was plowed out.

"He (Molski) had just bought us and didn't have to do a thing. He made up the difference with my pay and said that my having a job when I came back never was a question in his mind. My hat goes off to him." Wells said that Arhave care packages for him to "share with the guys." Wells was in the Marine Corps from 1973 to 1985.

He returned to military life in 2005, via the Michigan National Guard. Originally from the 1460th out of Midland, Wells served in Iraq with the 1461st out of Jackson. He was a 50gunner for convoy security, as part of a gun truck security platoon.

"When the 61st got ready to go, they were asking for volunteers," he said. "I was just a gunner. We were hit with more than 37 IEDs (improvised explosive devises). These guys stood tall. When an IED goes off, it gives new meaning to Ôrock your world.' "We were unfortunate to lose one -Sgt. Matt Soper from Jackson and that hit us pretty hard." Their platoon escorted civilian and military personnel. They moved from Mosul to Baghdad and Fallujah. Tikrit was their home station.

"The guys call it ÔHell's triangle,'" Wells said. "We ran just about every road they had over there. On April 14, we got hit. I think that was my third hit."

Wells suffered a concussion, lost a lot of hearing in his right ear and caught some debris in his face.

"People asked if I'd go back and I'd say, "yes," he said. You do it because of the brotherhood and because of the family." Wells said he has three more years of service.

"It'll only be one weekend per month," he said. Last week, he and Nona were off to a 10- day camping trip.

In loving memory of our fallen warrior

Sgt. Matthew Ryan Soper

Editor's note: The following is a poem written by the only fallen soldier in Sgt. Kevin Well's unit and was in the welcoming program given to the families at the reception:

"An American Soldier"

I am that which others do not want to be. I went where others feared to go, and did what others failed to do. I asked for ntohing from those who gave nothing, and painfully accepted the thought of eternal loneliness ... should I fail. I have seen the face of terror, Felt the stinging cold of fear, and enjoyed the sweet flavor of victory. I have cried, pained, and hoped but most of all, I am living a time that others have forgotten. At least some day I will be able to say that I was proud of what I did and proud of who I am. I fought for my country and I am "An American Soldier." Sgt. Matthew Ryan Soper passed away on June 6, 2007 in Bajl, Iraq.