But this was no ordinary Marine. And this was no ordinary homecoming.

Marine Cpl. Joshua Himan was severely injured in September 2009 when the Humvee he was riding in struck an improvised explosive device (IED) in Helmand Province in Afghanistan. Cpl. Himan suffered injury to his spinal cord, and as a result has been paralyzed from the chest down.

He spent time at the VA Medical Center in Richmond, Bethesda Naval Hospital, and most recently at Walter Reed Army Medical Center. He’s undergone intensive physical therapy as well as counseling to get him ready to go out on his own, and return to as much as a normal life as he can have after being so seriously wounded. And while at Walter Reed, Cpl. Himan said he still feels like his tour in Afghanistan hadn’t ended — that even though he’s back in the states, he’s not really home yet.

Well, that changed today when Cpl. Himan emerged from the van that brought him home, and he wheeled his wheel chair up his driveway, flanked on both sides by Marines, up a zigzagging wheel chair ramp and into a completely refurbished $100,000 home makeover that will allow him to be as self-sufficient as he can possibly be. The money was raised entirely through voluntary donations; workers also donated time, expertise and supplies to remake his house into a wheel chair-accessible home.

The project went swiftly from being green-lighted to completion. “On Dec. 31, we said we’d do the project,” said Jacob Koch, president of the Northern Virginia Fuller Center for Housing, who oversaw the entire project. “We had no money. We said we’d do it. We took a leap of faith, knowing that there should be some people out here to help us. Well, on the spot, in that meeting, we made one or two phone calls, we got a couple of contractors immediately on board. And I went home and started making some calls and everyone started making calls and over the period of the next four weeks, we raised all the money we needed — in a month. That is crazy. And we broke ground on Feb. 3, and it took 58 days to do construction and we’re bringing him home today.”

Support for this makeover project has come not just from the local community, but from all over. “All over Northern Virginia, DC, Maryland,” Koch said. “Actually, we’ve had support from all over the country. We’ve had checks come in from California, Texas, you name it. All over the country. It’s actually captured the hearts and minds of a lot of people. Not just here in Northern Virginia.”

Koch oversaw the entire project — from fundraising to lining up contractors and subcontractors, getting the volunteers in place, ensuring construction materials were on site — everything. He admits it was a “daunting” task, but it was made easy by the outpouring of community support. “I had a wonderful team around me,” Koch said, “and I cannot thank them enough.”

It's pretty obvious Cpl. Himan is happy to be home.

“I can’t say ‘thank you’ enough,” he said, trying unsuccessfully to choke back tears.

Some of the workers who worked on the house returned as invited guests to say hello to Cpl. Himan and his family. John Baskerville and William Miller, both with Woodbridge Plumbing, worked for two weeks on the house. And they didn’t know Cpl. Himan or the family “until now,” Miller said. “It’s amazing,” said Baskerville. “I’m very proud to be a part of this activity here. It’s for a great cause.”

You’ll find that theme running throughout this project — people who didn’t know Cpl. Himan or the family at all, pitching in to do whatever they could in honor of and in support of Cpl. Himan’s sacrifice.

Said Sgt. Cory Callahan, one of the Marines who stood in formation for hours along the driveway to Cpl. Himan’s house: “It’s a good experience, it’s a good cause. I’d rather be here today than anywhere else. I’ve never even met him.” Even the Assistant Commandant of the Marine Corps, Gen. Joseph F. Dunford, Jr., the second-highest ranking officer in the Marine Corps, attended — showing up not only to welcome Cpl. Himan home, but to thank each and every Marine who came to honor their fellow Marine and welcome him home.

So on this day, the last day of winter and the first day of spring, we thought it appropriate to bring you a few refreshing pictures to let you know that the snows and bitter cold of winter are fading quickly, and that the signs of spring are beginning to be seen if you look around carefully enough.

Daffodils spring up around a property's entrance near Belmont Bay. (Photo by HopkinsPhotos.com)

Bikers and hikers enjoy the warmer weather at Veterans Park. (Photo by HopkinsPhotos.com)

The buds of a tulip tree have emerged and are about to open. (Photo by HopkinsPhotos.com)

Forsythias are blooming throughout the Woodbridge area. (Photo by HopkinsPhotos.com)

Red buds begin popping out against a blue sky. (Photo by HopkinsPhotos.com)