Local soldier to get a hero's welcome

For Army Spc. Robert Yeninas, returning to civilian life is bittersweet.

The Fox River Grove resident, 27, who has spent the past year serving in Iraq, recently saw his platoon leader killed by an improvised explosive device.

"Robbie thought it should have been him instead," said his mother, Lynn Loyd. "He's been having a real rough time."

Hoping a hero's welcome back to the Chicago area will cheer her son up, Loyd contacted the Patriot Guard Riders.

In northern Illinois, at least one such ride is done every week. Many of the motorcycle riders in the procession are war veterans themselves.

Expected to land sometime between next Tuesday and Saturday, Yeninas will be greeted at the Des Plaines Oasis along the Northwest Tollway with a Patriot Guard escort home. The group has also promised a few surprises for the soldier and his family, Loyd said.

In the meantime, Yeninas is stationed in Hawaii, where this weekend, the Patriot Guard will come to him.

Patriot Guard Ride Capt. John Dreymann of Algonquin, who is traveling to Hawaii for a business trip, offered to visit Yeninas and talk about some of the issues he's facing.

"I saw that I would miss the actual homecoming that was being planned for Robbie. And then I noticed he would be stationed in Hawaii the same time I was traveling there," Dreymann said.

He decided to ask Yeninas' family if it was all right to visit him and thank him for his service.

"I was just so touched by John's thoughtfulness," Loyd said. "I spent half the conversation thanking him."

Dreymann does not plan to give away the surprise escort. Instead, he hopes the soldier will just accept the "weird coincidence" of a Patriot Guard Rider from Illinois being in Hawaii at the same time.

Because Yeninas is a Cubs fan, Dreymann has bought him a Cubs Division Championship T-shirt. He will also give him some Patriot Guard gear.

His mission is clear: to talk, but not to preach.

"I'm planning just to visit with him, and maybe to mention that its good for all returning soldiers to talk to someone about what they've gone through," he said.

Though Loyd describes her son as a private individual who likes to spend time listening to music and playing video games, she's sure he will treasure both Dreymann's visit and the public welcome home.

"The Patriot Guard has been just wonderful," she said. "I can't believe all they're doing."