The Associated PressCOLUMBUS, Miss.
Former hostage Thomas Hamill returned to American soil early Saturday, stepping off a private jet to see a banner proclaiming "Welcome Home TOMMY" and to hear family and friends cheering and clapping wildly.
Hamill, 44, and his wife, Kellie, landed just before 1 a.m. at the Golden Triangle Airport, some 30 miles south of where they live in the town of Macon. They were met at the plane by their longtime friends Doris Yoder and Jesse Green.
About 10 others from Macon also made the trip; members of the media outnumbered the supporters 2 to 1.
A state highway patrol car whisked away the couple, who waved to the group. Several people chased the car down the street.
Hamill, whose plight captured the attention of the nation, escaped his Iraqi captors Sunday and has been treated for an arm injury at Landstuhl Regional Medical Center in Germany. He was wounded when his convoy was ambushed April 9.
When he arrived at his home, Hamill, wearing blue jeans and a red western-style shirt, raised his arm in the cast to a handful of television cameras and said something that couldn't be clearly heard.
Green, who with Yoder rode in a patrol car behind the Hamills, spoke with reporters briefly before going inside. He described Hamill as "relieved" to be back in the United States.
Asked if Hamill fully understood the community support shown during his captivity, Green said: "He'll be learning that in the next few days."
Waiting for Hamill inside were his 12-year-old daughter, Tori; his 14-year-old son, Thomas; and his mother, Phyllis Hamill, who lives with the family.
Hamill said earlier this week that he was particularly looking forward to quiet time with his children.
In an interview Friday, Phyllis Hamill said her son faces additional treatment for his arm.
"He's got to have a bone graft and skin graft - that's a priority," she said.
After meeting with his family, one of the first things Hamill will have to deal with are letters and calls offering him movie and book deals.
"He's got mail about movie deals and all sorts of things," Phyllis Hamill said. "Somebody called about it and I just said, `Look, I can't even discuss that. It's his business."
"I don't even think he'll consider that for a while," she said. "He says foremost is there are people still over there in the military and others that are still being held hostage and all. Next is his family, seeing his kids."
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