As the private jet bearing Army Specialist Tim Hall touched down at the Hawthorne airport early Saturday afternoon, a crowd of family, friends and supporters waited for a glimpse of the 21-year old soldier.

Planning for this day actually began shortly after Hall was severely injured June 10 in a mortar attack on his base in Afghanistan. In the struggle to save his life, he lost both legs

The town, which bills itself as America's Patriotic Home, rallied to support Hall and his family. T-shirt sales, raffles and poker runs raised thousands.

In the months that followed volunteer workers and donated materials transformed the family home, adding a new bedroom, installing special fixtures in the bathroom, widening doors, making it wheelchair accessible. The work continued, Eric Hamrey admitted, up to hours before his step-son’s arrival.

And this day, this homecoming, was the point of it all, family, friends, people who have know him all his life lining up to welcome the solider home.

Tim knew much of what had been done, but the sight of so many gathered to welcome him was a welcome surprise.

“It really supports me because they're not worried about what I look like or how I'm going to act,” said Hall. “They're just happy to have me home.”

Frankly, it almost looked as if half the town was at the airport, the other half standing along the way holding signs and flags and waving as he made his way home, the trip becoming an impromptu parade.

“My first thought was the people just driving through town are really going to be pissed because they'll have to sit through it,” he joked,”but no, it's great to come home to this.

This is only a visit. Hall faces as much as three years of rehabilitation, but he's already making plans for his future and they include the town that welcomed him back.

“I want to go back to school and become a counselor and help out the school here.”

“You want to come back to Hawthorne?” I asked.

“Yes. No matter what, I want to come back here.”

His mother Tammy Hamrey, stands next to him beaming with a mixture of pride and love.

“I have him for two and a half weeks and I'm going to cherish every moment of it. I have a new Tim, a new life and it's going to be good.”

Welcome home Tim, Merry Christmas. Thanks for your service.