Friends, neighbors and well-wishers on Tuesday night turned out to welcome home Brookfield resident Donny Strysick, a U.S. Marine who just returned home from a tour of duty in Afghanistan.
A helicopter mechanic, Strysick was stationed at Camp Bastion. His squadron, MALS-40 (the “Smokin’ Aces”) is the Marine Aviation Logistics Squadron, providing maintenance and ordnance to various combat squadrons.
On Sept. 10, he returned home during his first leave since his tour of duty ended. He was welcomed home in style with a parade from Riverside-Brookfield High School to his home in the South Hollywood section of Brookfield.
Accompanied by members of the Brookfield VFW and police and fire departments, Strysick mounted the back of a Jeep, which navigated through Hollywood toward his home, with well-wishers lining the route, waving American flags and blowing air horns in salute.
The parade had a particularly poignant moment as it reached the 3700 block of McCormick Avenue. Strysick hopped out and greeted longtime Hollywood resident Howard Garst, an Army veteran of World War II. The two chatted, embraced and saluted one another before Strysick continued on his way home.
The exchange was captured on video and posted to Facebook by Dionne McNamara-Mangan.
