HOOKS, Texas—For Mickey Loyd, this Fourth of July was extra special.

Early last week her son, U.S. Marine Corps Lance Cpl. Christopher Loyd returned home after spending nearly eight months in combat training, including in the sands of Kuwait.

“It’s hard waiting for your kids to come back, especially during war time,” Mickey Loyd said. “Our daughter (Texarkana resident Geney Chitty) had already joined the Marine Reserves and having either one of them go to war in Iraq has always been a big concern of ours. We were thankful, they didn’t have to actually go to Iraq. That ...