WATERLOO - It was a homecoming for the ages.

An estimated 8,000 people packed Riverfront Stadium Wednesday to welcome home the Waterloo-based Ironman Battalion. People across town probably knew what time - 1:50 p.m. - the first soldier set foot on the baseball field as a thunderous cheer rang out from anxious family and friends who, in some cases, haven't seen their loved ones in almost two years.

The soldiers marched in single file. The standing ovation didn't stop until the last of the 640 Iowa Army National Guard members was in formation about 20 minutes later.

"Do you get the idea we're head over heals in love with you," Waterloo Mayor Tim Hurley told the guests of honor.

They probably already got the hint, given the police and Rolling Thunder motorcycle escort into town. A news helicopter tracked every move of the bus convoy that left Fort McCoy, Wis., at 8 a.m. People lined Highway 20 greeting them as they crossed the Iowa border and waved American flags from every overpass on the journey west.

The 1st Battalion, 133rd Infantry got the message. Riverfront's capacity is 5,000. People spilled into left field and anywhere else they could find room.

"It's amazing to get this much support. I didn't imagine the homecoming would be this big," said Sgt. David Bloyer of Schaller.

Most of the soldiers stood in stoic, military-like fashion during the 45-minute ceremony. Others not so much, breaking into a smile or waving to the crowd. Who could blame them? After 15 months of combat in Iraq, and family and friends only 20 yards away in some cases instead of 20,000 miles - they were home.

For the 60 soldiers who became dads during the deployment, the temptation to leave formation and run and kiss their wives and their new son or daughter for the first time in months or ever was almost too much to bear.

"It's very aggravating. I wanted to leave formation," said Sgt. Mark Mayfield, a medic from Waterloo and one of the new fathers.

He didn't have to wait too long. After the soldiers were released, his wife, Alisha, immediately went on a seek-and-kiss mission. When she spotted him in left field, she took a running leap into his arms.

It wasn't one of those "how was your day kisses." It was of the, "your safe and I haven't seen you in 10 months" variety.

It was everything she imagined.

"It was very, very perfect," Alisha said.

The happy couple then waded through the crowd back to the bleachers. There, 10-month-old Isaiah was waiting for daddy in grandma's arms. He looked up at this big guy in fatigues and a camouflage hat. Dad gave him a kiss on the forehead shielded by light brown curls. Isaiah was fine with it, despite not knowing him. After all, he was only 2 weeks old the last time dad was home on leave.

Sgt. Mayfield said he'll spend much of the next two days with his family.

"I don't know him. I've been gone two years, and I have the rest of my life to make up for it," he said.

The homecoming is even more special for the Mayfields given Isaiah's birthday - Sept. 11. It's the reason Mark was called to duty in the first place.

The irony doesn't escape the family. Even after missing most of his son's life so far, Mayfield said he's as committed to the cause and military as ever.

"I believe in what we did. I think we made a lot of progress," he said. "We set a lot of standards as far as convoy security."

The battalion was mobilized in September and October of 2005 as part of the global war on terrorism. After spending six months training at Camp Shelby in Mississippi, the citizen soldiers spent the rest of the time guarding convoys in the Al Anbar province of Iraq, one of the most dangerous regions in an already dangerous country.

Men and women of the 133rd - with armories in Waterloo, Dubuque, Oelwein, Iowa Falls and Charles City - provided security for more than 500 combat logistical patrols, escorting 62,000 trucks more than 4.1 million miles. Most of the loads carried 169 million gallons of fuel into Iraq, or more than one-third of the fuel used by coalition forces during that time. Troops from other Iowa guard units were also mobilized to support the battalion.

Life overseas was hard. Roadside bombs, insurgents and snipers were a daily fact of life. Two 133rd soldiers never made it back. Sgt. 1st Class Scott Nisely of Marshalltown and Sgt. Kampha Sourivong of Iowa City were killed in combat. Thirty-five others were injured.

The constant danger, and worrying, led to many sleepless nights for families.

Jody Boge of Manchester knows that better than most. Thankfully, when a roadside bomb detonated by a Humvee that her husband, Staff Sgt. Jerry Boge, was riding in, she didn't become a widow.

"He couldn't hear for a while and the paint was blown off," Jody Boge said, recalling the story prior to the soldiers arrival. "I was pretty scared."

Tuesday night, though, Jody and her three sons couldn't sleep for a different reason. It was anticipation instead of fear.

"This is the day we've been waiting for for two years," Jody said.

To ease the transition back into the family and to reward the boys for their patience and help around the house, Jerry promised each of his sons he would do something with them individually for a day.

Eleven-year-old Kyle knows what he's doing.

"I'm going to Lost Island. We had a lot of fun their on my birthday," he said.

The 1/133rd was originally scheduled to return in the spring, but the battalion's tour was extended four months as part of President Bush's troop surge. True to its nickname, the Ironman Battalion was the longest serving National Guard unit in Iraq at the time of its departure.

Family members said the announcement was a blow, but it made them band together that much more. Three families from Epworth and one from Dubuque became one during the deployment.

The Habel, Schwendinger, Heer and Wohlers families ate dinner together, watched each other's kids - even Tina Schwendinger who doesn't have kids.

They mowed lawns and cleared driveways of snow when the others needed help.

On Wednesday, they all wore fluorescent green shirts so their husbands wouldn't have trouble picking them out from the crowd. Carrie Habel even arrived at the stadium at 8 a.m., or five hours before the troops were scheduled to arrive. She endured hot, muggy weather to stake out seats for her comrades and 60 other family members and friends.

"My (four) kids think they have four mothers," Habel said.

"It's a lot easier to cope with things together," Schwendinger added.

Cathleen Atchison of Marion, the battalion's family support group coordinator, said the community support for the troops was outstanding. Her husband, Maj. Donnie Atchison, is the battalion's executive officer and returned from his fourth deployment.

She expected the homecoming to be big, but not this big. At first she was just hoping to get local businesses and community groups to hang up signs of support. When her and other homecoming organizers asked for their cooperation, they responded and then some.

Donations of food, water, roses and hundreds of gifts, which were raffled off to family members prior to the troops' arrival, poured in. About 12,000 hot dogs, 6,000 bags of chips and 6,000 bottles of water were all consumed free of charge by the crowd.

"All I did was ask them to show their support and it blossomed from there," Atchison said.

The community and family support is much appreciated, soldiers say. But being home safe is the greatest gift of all.

"Just to see grass, the colors and to hunt and fish again," Bloyer said. "Everything people take for granted every day." Besides family, he said, "I missed that most of all."

Contact Matthew Wilde at (319) 291-1579 or matt.wilde@wcfcourier.com.