Nothing feels better than coming home.

Lance Corporal Greg Rosperich knows just what that means, even if he arrived a few hours late. Rosperich, a Marine, spent seven months in Afghanistan and returned to Mattapoisett around 3 a.m. Saturday. This was his second tour.

“It’s weird, being back,” he said. “Because you have to get used to bRosperich was originally scheduled to be home around 11 p.m. Friday and community leaders planned a grand welcome. A delayed flight resulted in a 3 a.m. arrival. Although most well-wishers were sleeping, the welcome mat was self-evident.

Residents placed signs along the roads as well as tacking up flags and yellow ribbons on utility poles early Friday. Resident Kim Corazzini fronted the effort. With the help of the Mattapoisett Lions Club, more than 100 flags and ribbons were placed along North Street, Route 6 and Mattapoisett Neck Road, where Rosperich lives.

The Lions also commissioned a ‘Welcome Home’ banner originally strung on the Crystal Springs Road overpass, which now can be seen at the Mattapoisett Fire Department. Corazzini said the Mattapoisett Police Association helped with funds for making yard signs.

The idea came to Corazzini earlier in August.

“I saw something on TV about a kid coming home and the whole town getting behind him,” Corazzini said.

“And I thought, ‘Why can’t we do this?’ I’m a friend of the Rosperich family. I know Greg. I hope this makes him feel good.”

Her plan worked.

“It’s awesome,” Rosperich said. “I see more ‘Thank you’ signs popping up every day. It feels really cool that they did this for me.”

King Lion Joe Murray was part of the group—along with other Lions—decorating the town.

“This was an opportunity to get active with a hands-on project that helped our community. We were simply asked to support Kim’s idea. It’s a wonderful thing, good community service.”

Corazzini also mentioned Army Sgt. Ryan McGrath returned Thursday night.

“I felt so bad because we had all of these materials prepared for [Friday],” Corazzini said. “But we managed to get some flags and signs out for him, and he was very thankful for the effort. I just hope that parents can come to us and let us know in the future. We want this sort of thing for every kid coming home.”

But for Rosperich, just being home with friends and family is a nice thing in itself.

“Every one I know can breathe easy now that I’m home,” he said. “I missed everybody like crazy. Now I’m just trying to get face-time with everyone.”