Hero deserves a hero's welcome

Every conflict produces its portraits in courage. Bryan Anderson, a young man from Rolling Meadows who lost both legs and his left arm in an attack in Baghdad, is one of those portraits. He's a portrait in courage not only for putting his life on the line in a distant land where the enemy measures its success by its cold-blooded, merciless attacks, but also for facing up to and overcoming the intense demands of making himself better and adjusting to a life with prosthetic limbs.

A big deal was made Tuesday afternoon, when he returned from recuperating at the Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington, D.C. There was a procession from O'Hare and a party near his home, streets lined with well-wishers and the news media highlighting his story. We say however big a deal it is won't be big enough. The slogan "Support our troops" isn't just about doing all we can to let our fighting men and women know we are behind them when they are off fighting on our behalf. It's also about doing all we can to make their return home, and their re-entry into society, as positive and rewarding an experience as we can. The first step in that process is extending to Bryan Anderson our most profound thanks for his sacrifices.