FULTON, Miss. (WTVA) -- Mississippi Army National Guard Sergeant Ricky Rhyne's most recent tour of duty was this summer — a time he will never forget and not for the reason you may assume.
His home was burglarized.
"When you come home and find that your house has been broken in to, you never expect to get anything back," wife Angie Rhyne said.
Of all the things that were stolen from the house — and there were some expensive things stolen — the most important possession to them was Sergeant Rhyne's helmet.
Four people were arrested two months after the burglary.
All the family's electronics were recovered except the helmet.
Eventually, family members got the good news.
"When he called us and told me he got that back, I just started crying. I just started crying," Angie Rhyne added.
Sergeant Rhyne asked for the U.S. flag to be flown in Afghanistan in honor of the Itawamba County Sheriff's Department.
A plaque is now in the hands of those the family considers to be heroes.
"I just wanted to do something for the guys here that do what they do on a daily basis. It means a lot to me for that," Sergeant Rhyne said.
"The honor should be to the people that serve our country, and we're just proud to pitch in to help wherever we can," Sheriff Chris Dickinson said.
