Military families welcome soldiers home for Fourth of July

Raquel Enero

The Fourth of July is a time to reflect on the sacrifices of service members, but it had special meaning for certain families as they welcomed their loved ones home from deployment this year, the Baltimore Sun reports.

Last year on America's Independence Day, Army Sergeant Justin Haggerty was searching for explosives in Afghanistan. This year, he spent the day patrolling Fort Meade's holiday celebration, the news outlet reports. The contrast in his past two Fourth of Julys makes the importance of the day even more pronounced for him, he told the news outlet.

"The Fourth of July is not a barbecue, it's a chance to remember why you're an American," Haggerty told the news outlet. "Why are we here today? Someone had to die for this."

Haggerty was reunited with his wife, Joanna, and their 3-year-old daughter, Joilee, earlier this year, the news source reports.

While some military families were relishing in the luxury of having their loved one home for the holiday, others were being saluted by President Obama in person at the White House celebration. He told troops that they "represent what is best in America," according to The Huffington Post.

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