BANGOR, Maine — Fans of Bangor High School athletics probably remember Josh Jamieson as a big, strong football, basketball and baseball player.
Now a strapping 32-year-old Marine, Staff Sgt. Jamieson is headed for his fifth tour in Iraq as a helicopter mechanic with Marine Helicopter Light-Attack Squadron 167, which is based at New River Air Station in North Carolina.
Jamieson was one of 300 Marines on an Iraq-bound plane that landed at Bangor International Airport late Sunday afternoon for a quick stop. The 1995 Bangor High graduate was met by a group of family members, including his mother, Lynn Conary, whom he hadn’t seen in three years.
Jamieson should be back in six months, although he hasn’t ruled out a sixth trip in the future.
“I don’t know. I like the military,” he said after he had a few minutes to greet his family. “I’ve done my time and then some, but I’m not ready to leave yet.”
Jamieson’s mother and sister Kurstin Kill, along with assorted family members and friends all gathered at the airport before the plane arrived. It touched down at 4:01 p.m. Exactly 20 minutes later, the first of the troops appeared in the hallway leading into the terminal.
“My heart’s beating so fast,” Conary said before the Marines came into view. “My eyes are already starting to tear up.”
Jamieson was among the first of the Marines into the terminal. He caught sight of his family and lifted both arms above his head. Conary hugged and kissed her son, then turned her attention back to the troops filing into the terminal, shaking their hands and welcoming them to Bangor.
Jamieson said he started to get excited when the plane descended into Bangor. He recognized the hotels and restaurants around the airport and looked, in vain, for author Stephen King’s house.
Although Conary now lives in Millinocket, she said, Jamieson is a Bangor boy. He was part of state championships in basketball and baseball, earned a Fitzpatrick Award nomination as one of the top senior football players in the state, and was invited to a workout with baseball’s Atlanta Braves in 1994.
The lessons he learned from legendary Bangor High coaches such as football’s Jonathan “Gabby” Price, basketball’s Roger Reed and baseball’s Bob “Punk” Kelley have stuck with him over the years.
“It was always about the team,” Jamieson said of his days as a Bangor Ram. “That was always put across. It means more than anything now in the military when you’re relying on the guy next to you.”
Jamieson’s family brought a feast for him, including cookies, yeast rolls and turkey sandwiches. And they didn’t forget the fruit salad.
“Everybody knows I like fruit salad,” Jamieson said.
Jamieson was one of a few Marines to have family greet them at BIA. Many sat alone, using laptop computers, making phone calls or reading. Jamieson couldn’t feel too bad for the ones who didn’t have a big entourage to greet them, however.
“I know a lot of guys in North Carolina have their family two, three hours away, so they get to see them on weekends,” he said. “I didn’t get to see my family for a few years.”