Josh Hileman the soldier recently came home to see his old neighborhood, revisit his former school and extend thanks to students with a show of colors.

The Marine corporal, fresh from

a tour of duty in Afghanistan, unfurled a U.S. flag in front of students at Valley Christian School, his alma mater, and where his mother, Ruth Hileman, works as a teacher.

The flag, flown by his platoon in the front lines of the war-torn country, will be framed in a display box as a gift in gratitude to those students who wrote letters and sent care packages overseas to Hileman’s outfit.

“We really appreciate all the support we get,” Hileman told the assembly. “Not all the letters make sense, but when someone writes, ‘You’re Superman,’ that makes you feel great.”

Hileman is thankful just to be returning home intact. While on patrol he was injured when his outfit was hit by an improvised explosive device. Hileman sustained head and abdominal injuries from the blast and is slowly recovering from a series of surgeries since then.

Hileman and his family, who are stationed in North Carolina, came home to Auburn to be with family for the holidays.