Welcome Home Set for Plainfield Army Captain

When Army Capt. James Hart comes home on leave Sunday, he'll be greeted not only by his family but by a flag line and a motorcade that will escort him to his Plainfield home.

Hart served one tour in Iraq and is completing his second tour in Afghanistan, according to a media release from Operation Welcome You Home, which is organizing the event.

An Oak Park native and Morton High School graduate, Hart currently lives in Plainfield with his wife Beth, son Aiden and two dogs.

He enlisted in the National Guard when he was 17 and after boot camp he attended Western University, where he completed a bachelor's degree in law enforcement. In 2003, he was deployed to Iraq, where he was shot in the shoulder and received a purple heart, the media release said.

When he returned home and recovered, he completed a master's degree in law enforcement.

In 2008, Hart was sent to Afghanistan to work as a combat advisor to the Afghan National Police. When he returned, he worked at Ft. Benning, Ga., for a year and was then deployed again to Afghanistan.

After this deployment, he will be going to Ft Leavenworth in Kansas. He is hoping to transfer to active duty, the release said.  

The first staging area will form at 11 a.m. at Meijers, 135th Street and Route 59, where Hart will be greeted and the motorcade will escort him home. The staging area for the flag line will be at Culver's, 135th Street and Route 59.

For more information, call Donna at 630-302-2638 or RC Jim at 630-204-0599.

To leave a message for Hart, go to www.welcomeyouhome.org.