Cooling off in California

Marisa O’Neil

Time seems to slow to a crawl when you’re waiting to pick up someone

from the airport.

And when that someone’s returning from more than a year away, from

dusty battlefields in one of the world’s most dangerous places, each

second ticks by like eternity.

Friends and family of United States Army Lt. Ryan Williams

gathered anxiously at John Wayne Airport Friday afternoon to welcome

the West Point graduate back home after serving for a year in Iraq.

They had signs, flags and red, white and blue balloons.

“I just want to give him a hug,” his mother Erika Williams, said

as she stood at the bottom of the stairs by the baggage claim.

Ryan Williams, 24, graduated from Corona del Mar High School in

1997 and West Point in 2001. He was stationed in Vilseck, Germany,

but shipped out to Kirkuk, Iraq with the 1st Infantry division last

April.

There, he drove Humvees and did reconnaissance for supply convoys.

“We had a map on the refrigerator, so we knew where he was,” his

mother said. “Whenever anything happened, we’d look on the map and

say: ‘It couldn’t be him.’”

The Williams family sent packages and waited for e-mail updates

and the rare phone call from him. He stayed in Iraq, donating his own

rest and recuperation to fellow soldiers with wives and children.

Finally, by the end of February, they got word he had left Iraq

and was going back to Germany, then to visit his girlfriend in

Philadelphia. And after that, he’d be back home for two weeks.

So Erika Williams, husband Richard and daughter Heidi waited for

that first sight of him coming down the airport escalator. And waited

and waited and waited.

Other airport escalator-watchers offered their support.

“We’ll cheer for Lt. Ryan when he comes down,” one woman said,

spying one of their signs. “We don’t know him, but we’ll give him the

old one-two.”

At last, they spied him. In his khaki trousers and backpack, he

looked like any other weary 20-something returning from a long, very

tiring trip.

His mother dashed up to him and made good on her promise, giving

him a giant hug.

While he’s home for his two-week leave, Williams will meet with

fellow West Point graduate, Rep. Chris Cox. He said he will tell him

about good things happening in Iraq, the things he said that often go

unreported.

And on his two-week break, he’ll go to the beach, hang out with

friends, eat Mexican food and drink a beer or two.

“It feels good to be back in California,” he said. “Hopefully

it’ll be cooler than Iraq.”

* MARISA O’NEIL covers education. She may be reached at (949)

574-4268 or by e-mail at marisa.oneil@latimes.com.