Last July, Army Specialist Willie Stewart and three other members of his unit were wounded during a mortar attack and ambush in Afghanistan. Stewart was the most severely injured. The attack left him blind, suffering from a stroke and brain injury.
Over the past several months, Stewart has been recovering at Walter Reed, and most recently a rehab facility in Raleigh.
On Friday, the 25-year-old came home to a new house and a hero's welcome with lots of hugs and kisses.
The VA helped the family get a handicapped equipped van. A local businessman who built a handicapped accessible home for his mother let Stewart and his family move in instead.
He was only home in Fayetteville about four hours, but with a big smile on his face he told ABC11 he was just looking forward to going fishing.
For now, Stewart is assigned to the Wounded Warriors Battalion at Fort Bragg.
When asked to reflect on the past nine months, all Stewart could say was, "duty."
Stewart said he would go right back overseas and fight again.
"As long as we have him with me, we are good," Stewart's mother Bonnie Wilburn said. "Just to have him still to be in our lives and to be home and to know he has done his part."
Welcome home, Specialist Stewart.
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