Keywords: US Navy 030510-N-6477M-173 Vietnam veteran Doug Meek shakes hands with Machinist^rsquo,s Mate 3rd Class James Devaldar assigned to USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72) during a ticker-tape parade in honor of all Lincoln Sailors and the.jpg en Everett Wash May 10 2003 -- Vietnam veteran Doug Meek shakes hands with Machinist s Mate 3rd Class James Devaldar assigned to USS Abraham Lincoln CVN 72 during a ticker-tape parade in honor of all Lincoln Sailors and their families Lincoln was on its way home from the Afghanistan theater of operations after participating in Operation Enduring Freedom when the ship and her more than 5 000-member crew were turned around to support Operation Iraqi Freedom Now they return to their homeport of Everett after a nearly ten-month deployment Over 30 000 people showed up to give them an official heroes welcome and parade hosted by Everett Mayor Frank Anderson and other officials U S Navy photo by Photographer s Mate 2nd Class Eli J Medellin RELEASED 2003-05-10 030510-N-6477M-173 Navy http //www navy mil/view_image asp id 7389 U S Navy photo by Photographer s Mate 2nd Class Eli J Medellin PD-USGov-Military-Navy Naval Station Everett Aboard USS Abraham Lincoln CVN-72 |