Maersk Crew Comes Home

The American sailors who thwarted a pirate attack off the coast of Somalia have arrived home to a hero's welcome, reports the AP. Dozens of family members erupted in cheers and applause as the 19 crew members from the Maersk Alabama stepped off a charter flight from Kenya at Andrews Air Force Base early this morning.

Shipping company workers had hung a "Welcome Home Maersk Alabama" banner adorned with yellow ribbons near the scene. "I'm happy to see my family," shouted one crewman carrying a child. The crew members had to fly home without their skipper, Capt. Richard Phillips, after the Navy destroyer that rescued him was diverted to the scene of another pirate attack. He could fly to the US today.
(More Maersk Alabama stories.)