Retiring Navy Captain Gets Whole Community Welcoming Him Home

A sailor returning from 14 months overseas received an uplifting surprise when his entire neighborhood came out to celebrate. Ned Smith had been serving with the United States Navy in Qatar, Afghanistan, Bahrain and Iraq before being informed he was set to return home. When she heard the news, Ned's wife, Brittany Smith, from Apollo Beach, Florida, contacted he good friend and neighbor, Nicole, and the pair put out a message on Facebook, asking if anyone would like to celebrate Ned's return. Sure enough, on the day itself in April 2020, rows and rows of people lined the streets, celebrating at a distance as the uncertainties of the coronavirus pandemic took hold.