"It feels kind of weird. I'm still adjusting because I lived there for, like, 13 months, so a lot (is) different coming back home," said Madison.
Madison was finally catching his breath Wednesday afternoon, a few hours after his homecoming generated a lot of excitement in his Mundelein neighborhood. The 20-year-old soldier who was injured in Iraq was escorted to his house by the police and fire departments and was welcomed by dozens of people holding banners and American flags.
Madison eventually needed to sit down as dozens of people shook his hand, thanking him for serving his country. He suffered internal injuries in Iraq May 23, when his tank was attacked and caught on fire.
For the past five weeks, he was recuperating at Walter Reed Medical Center in Washington, his family visited him there and celebrated his birthday and will have 30 days to spend at home before going back for more treatment.
"By the end of the week, he actually was walking on crutches and walked the whole mall on crutches," said mom Diane Madison.
Patrick Madison is one of Larry and Diane Madison's 12-children but not the only one in the middle east... His older brother Mark is a soldier in Baghdad.
While Patrick Madison his happy to be home for the next few weeks, Mark and the members of his Army unit are on his mind.
"Company 164, I love you guys," Patrick Madison said.
He says he hopes to take in a Cubs game before going back to the hospital in Washington D.C.
