Heroes’ Homecoming : Navy: Friends and family of sailors welcome the frigate Marvin Shields back to its home base of San Diego after a stay in the Persian Gulf.

The first West Coast ship to return from the Persian Gulf since the war, the frigate Marvin Shields arrived at its home port in San Diego Monday, and its 280 sailors were greeted with passionate kisses and warm embraces at the 32nd Street Naval Station.

“I got this really sick feeling in my stomach (when the war started) and it didn’t leave until he called me from the Philippines and told me he was on his way home,” said Bonny Palitz, the mother of Petty Officer 2nd Class John Palitz, both of San Diego. “We didn’t know where he was. It was so scary. It’s a great day. I’m just so thrilled. I’ve been jumping up and down for the last week.”

For loved ones, the waiting began with rain early Monday morning and ended in sunshine as the ship came into view about 8:30 a.m.

The Shields departed for the Persian Gulf on Sept. 17, where it assisted in intercepting merchant shipping in support of U.N. resolutions and acted as an escort ship for allied forces. The Shields was designed primarily as a submarine hunter.

Cmdr. Michael Simpson, commanding officer of the ship, recalled the stay in the Gulf.

“The toughest situation was probably the uncertainty; not knowing when the hostilities might break out,” Simpson said. “And, of course, as we approached the 15 January deadline, we certainly had a little more idea, but in that first few months not knowing when Saddam Hussein might decide to try something preemptive, or knowing exactly what was going to happen. Every day was 24 hours of a good degree of uncertainty.”

Petty Officer 3rd Class Jeffe Easson described the same uncertainty: “I got stuck on the mine detail, and you sit up on front of the ship, doing (operations), and it’s cold, and you’ve got 60-m.p.h. wind. That was the only part that was really scary. If we would have hit a mine, I would have been the first one to go.”

Now that he is back, Easson is ready to relax.

“I’m going to go surfing, and then I’m partying,” Easson said. “I’m going to get a good dinner, and a nice, hot, running shower that doesn’t stop when you’re all lathered up.” Nice, hot showers were one thing. But many sailors just couldn’t wait to get back in the arms of their wives and children.

Petty Officer 3rd Class Richard Wolfe held his 6 1/2-week-old daughter, Amanda,--his first child--for the first time Monday as his wife, Paula, watched in tears.

All he could say was that he loved his new daughter very much.

But the homecoming Monday also provided lonely moments for some sailors who had no friends or family to greet them.

Surrounded by yellow ribbons, long embraces and passionate kisses, Petty Officer 2nd Class Keith Patterson stood alone, his eyes hidden behind sunglasses, a half-smile on his face. Watching friends get reacquainted with loved ones, Patterson took solace in the fact that he will go home to Alabama in two weeks to be reunited with his family and friends.

A more common scene at the homecoming was Navy wives decked out in short skirts, stockings and high heels.

Bertha Sisk, wife of Petty Officer 2nd Class Harry Sisk, bought a new black, lacy mini-dress with fringes at the bottom for the occasion.

Her husband’s reply about how his wife looked in her new dress: “There’s no words.”

The Shield’s homecoming was special to many people, including the ship’s commanding officer, who thanked the United States for its support during the war.

“It’s great to be back here in San Diego,” Simpson told reporters. “This is a fantastic welcome from everybody especially (from) our families. What has sustained us over this last 6 1/2 months, including the time we spent over in the Gulf and during Operation Desert Storm, has been the love and support of our families. It really does make a difference, and so does the support we’ve gotten from people from all over the country.

” . . . Thank you America, you have been terrific.”

The support of the troops came from far and wide Monday. Just ask Seaman Robert Blanchard. His grandmother and great aunt, who are twin sisters, flew from New Jersey to surprise him. It was the first time the women had flown.

Blanchard’s family decorated the car with yellow crepe paper and welcome home slogans. Blanchard’s mother recalled the fear she felt when her son left for the war.

“It was really scary,” said Julie Blanchard. “There were a lot of sleepless nights, and a lot of CNN.”