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Nearly two decades ago, George Stout attended a parade to honor troops returning home from Operation Desert Storm.

On Wednesday, he and about 12,000 others attended a parade honoring soldiers again returning from Iraq and the Middle East.

Stout, a Vietnam War veteran, who missed out on the warm homecoming experienced by other soldiers, had a four-foot wooden sign that read "God Bless our Troops." The sign also had a prisoner-of-war and missing-in-action tribute and displayed three American flags.

"I've been carrying it ever since" the Desert Storm parade, said Stout, who clenched the sign Wednesday and eagerly waited for the Welcome Home Heroes Parade to begin. "I wouldn't have missed this for the world. These young brave men and women have made this a better, safer place."

Workers on their lunch break, veterans displaying their pride and children bused in from school districts across the county were among area residents who lined the streets Wednesday afternoon for the parade. It welcomed soldiers from the 4th Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division, who returned from Iraq several months ago.

The parade also honored air defenders of the 3rd Battalion, 43rd Air Defense Artillery, 11th ADA Brigade, who returned recently from the Middle East.

More than 4,000 soldiers marched in the city-sponsored parade, which spanned about 1.25 miles.

The event Wednesday was only the third time in El Paso that soldiers who returned from war were honored in a special citywide parade. City officials said soldiers marched in a parade after World War II and also after Operation Desert Storm.

Col. Stephen Twitty, the 4-1 Cavalry commander, who led the soldiers, said he was astonished at the number of people who attended the midday parade. Twitty, who praised the city of El Paso and Mayor John Cook, said he and many of his soldiers teared up during the march.

"Regardless of what people think, here in El Paso, about this war, they still support the soldiers, and that makes a huge difference to the soldiers out there," Twitty said. "We definitely feel welcome here in El Paso. I just had a meeting with one of my captains, and he just told me a few minutes ago that he was on assignment to go somewhere else and he doesn't want to go now. So he wants me to assist him in staying in El Paso. I mean, that's the type of impact that this parade has had on soldiers."

Jessica Del Palacio, an employee of Monterrey Properties, was one of several workers from the company given time to attend the parade.

At one point, Del Palacio ran up to a soldier, who was marching in the parade, shook his hand and thanked him.

"They are doing great out their helping our country and fighting for us," said Del Palacio, who was excited about her encounter with the soldier.

The loud applause, which was consistent throughout the parade, abruptly stopped while 31 riderless horses passed by, bearing the names of soldiers who died during the 4-1 Cavalry's deployment to Iraq.

Veterans saluted and others wiped tears as the name of each soldier was announced and each horse -- adorned with a saddle blanket bearing the soldier's name and carrying boots reversed in the stirrups as a tribute -- moved past the crowd.

"That was the most moving thing and it somewhat provided a sense of closure for me as well," Twitty said. "To see all of them, including (my fallen soldiers) -- I felt their presence in the parade with us -- I felt comfortable to have all my soldiers with me. It may just be a soldier thing, but I felt that I had all my guys there, to include my soldiers that were killed."

Sgt. Dagoberto Hinojosa, whose 5-year-old son, Angelo, was dressed as a soldier and marched in place, said that while he appreciated all the support he and his family received during the event, he was hoping to pay tribute to his friends and fellow soldiers who died in combat.

"I'll never forget any of them," Hinojosa said. "It means a lot when people stop you to thank you for your service and everything you've done, but they gave more than any of us. With the war going on, I can't imagine how their wives and children must be feeling. My children got their dad back."

Since Spc. Nate Fulton returned from Iraq, he and his wife, Maygen Fulton, have already seen quite a bit of support from the community.

"The day I got back, we went to get food because I hadn't eaten in a long time," Fulton said. "It was a long flight. We went to Denny's, and when the time came to pay for the meal, the waiter came over and told us it had already been paid for."

Both Fulton, who was on his first deployment, and Spc. Brandon Powell, whose 5å-year Army career has already meant three deployments to Iraq, said separately that they hoped their participation in the parade would pay tribute to the war veterans who fought before them.

"It's nice to see all the previous war veterans, and it is our way of honoring those who didn't get the same support we have," Fulton said. "They come out here to say thank you to us, but they were out here before us, and we wouldn't be doing what we're doing if it wasn't for them."

Twitty said the support shown by people at the parade reinforced his opinions about El Paso.

"I've been in the Army going on 23 years and moved 14 times and never been to a location where I have been so embraced by the people like here in El Paso," Twitty said. "Nowhere else have I been. I have to be honest -- this feels like home."