A long queue of summer vacationers walked off the Island Home on Friday night to the blaring sirens of the Tisbury and Oak Bluffs fire departments. A column of the American Legion’s color guard stood at attention at the foot of the steamship walkway and greeted their arrival. All the hospitality was reserved for one passenger in particular.
A roar erupted from the crowd as Staff Sgt. Chris Willis disembarked, still decked out in camouflage and smiling from ear to ear, marking the end of his long journey home from Afghanistan.
Awaiting the Island native at the bottom of the walkway was a tearful cadre of family and friends, as well as old colleagues from his Island firefighting days. Ed Rogers of Edgartown played a triumphant rendition of America the Beautiful on his trumpet as Mr. Willis hugged his mother and stepfather, Gail and Greg Hines.
“We’re just going to enjoy having him around again,” Mr. Hines said.
Mr. Willis is returning from his fourth tour of duty since Sept. 11, 2001, this one in the Paktika province in Afghanistan. The bronze-starred staff sergeant comes from a family tradition of military service; his grandfather, Robert Merritt, served for 30 years in the Navy.
“Life’s good, how about you guys?” Mr. Willis remarked casually to his friends from the Oak Bluffs fire department. A man with luggage in hand, waiting to board the Island Home for Woods Hole, fought his way through the crowd to thank Mr. Willis for his service.
On his return from overseas Mr. Willis spent four days out-processing at Camp Atterbury in Indiana. He said he is eager to ease back in to Island life.
“It’s awesome being home,” he said. “I’m breathing fresh air and eating American food — it feels good. And it feels good being home with my family, my daughter and my wife.”
Later this month the newly-minted staff sergeant will marry his sweetheart, Joanna Ruskin, with whom he has a 19-month-old daughter, Mika.
“I’m on vacation until November, then I start my life,” he said. “I had my military life and now it’s time for real life. The focus now is on our wedding and the honeymoon.”
Mr. Willis had difficulty hiding his excitement when discussing the upcoming trip to Saint Lucia.
“It’s going to be all-inclusive, a butler, the works,” he said beaming. “Everywhere we go there will be a butler.”
Mr. Willis graduated from the Martha’s Vineyard Regional High School in 1998 and worked at the Oak Bluffs fire department before his first assignment in Afghanistan in 2002. He hopes this latest tour is his last.
“If God’s looking out for me this will be my last tour,” he said. “I’ve done four tours and have been going back-to-back-to-back-to-back. Hopefully I’ll find a desk job or something like that and train young soldiers to take my place.”
His mother, Gail Hines, hopes it is his last tour as well.
“We hope this time he’s here to stay indefinitely,” she said.
“We should ask Obama though, right?”
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