Hugs, Cheers Keep on Coming for Marines : Homecoming: More than 300 troops land at Camp Pendleton Tuesday after doing tours of duty in the Persian Gulf.

Charlie Justice and his family had waited for seven months to see his son, Lt. Charles Justice, return from the Persian Gulf.

So when the Huntington Beach family arrived at the Camp Pendleton base around 9 a.m. Tuesday to greet Charles and 226 other members of Marine Light Attack Helicopter Squadron 367, they took front seats in the squadron’s hangar. The squadron included helicopter pilots and air support troops who fought in the battle of Khafji during the Persian Gulf War.

Charlie Justice held aloft a sign that had a picture of a pistol and read: “We Gave This Piece a Chance . . . It Worked. Welcome Peacemakers.”

It wasn’t until 2 p.m., however that Charlie Justice could pounce on his son to embrace him and welcome him home.

“We got him back! We got him back!” Charlie Justice said. “The last several hours took forever, but it was well worth it.”

The scene was repeated throughout the day as more than 300 Marines returned to the sprawling base south of San Clemente on Tuesday.

About 400 wives, children, relatives and well-wishers waited about five hours for their reunions with members of the returning troops. About 150 more people arrived later in the evening to welcome another 114 returning Marines. Marine officials cited logistical and air-travel problems for the delay.

Marine officials here said returns of troops and equipment is are expected to continue almost daily for the next six months.

Most of the returning troops expressed a yearning to return to normalcy.

“No more living in a tent,” Lt. Justice said gleefully as he squeezed his 2 1/2-year-old son, Ryan. “We’ve really learned to appreciate simple things like being able to take a shower or a glass of ice water.”

Justice and other Marines said the Iraqis offered little resistance.

“They were giving up all over the place,” said Justice, who pilots a Huey helicopter. “We were the first American pilots to land at Kuwait International, and we received quite a reception.”

Some of Marines returning Tuesday were seeing their baby daughters and sons for the first time. At least 10 babies were born to Marine families while Squadron 367 was deployed, according to Pam Porter, a Marine wife who gave birth while her husband, Sgt. James Porter, a helicopter crew chief, was in Saudi Arabia.

Lt. Col. Mike Kurth, the commander of sister Squadron 369, arrived at Camp Pendleton Monday evening but returned Tuesday to greet his colleagues. Kurth stood near a sign that read, “Jim, Dave, Kurt and Al: Heroes Forever. We’ll Miss You.”

The four Camp Pendleton Marines--Capts. Jim Thorp and Dave Herr and Cpls. Kurt Benz and Al Haddad--were killed when their two helicopters crashed Feb. 3 during a night mission near Kibrit in Saudi Arabia. Their aircraft was not hit by enemy fire, Kurth said, and the crash is still under investigation.

Kurth said the returning Marines will be able to spend “a well-earned few days off” before longer leaves become available.

“And they’re going to enjoy it too,” Kurth said. “There, it was either hot and miserable or cold and miserable. . . . Hell, they’ve earned this rest.”