RHW, my late husband was a medivac helicopter pilot in Viet Nam. When he came home in 1967 after a year, he told me what it was like for him. He said it was so weird to think that one day he was being shot at and the next day he was on an airplane drinking all the ice cold milk they would give him and the next day he was home where everything was the same... houses, trees, church, stores, sidewalks... he said it was hard shifting gears in his head.
His wife had arranged a huge welcome for him at the airport, she had bought all new furniture for the house, and (most importantly) she had given birth to their second child while he was away. In those days there was no email, no cell phones-- they exchanged audio tapes, and talked on the phone once during that year.
He said although he appreciated the fuss, he wished the welcome could have been a little bit more low key. He was having a hard time taking everything in. And he couldn't help but think of his buddies who were NOT coming home and who would not get this kind of welcome. He was full of conflicting emotions. He didn't share any of them with her, he just smiled and went along with everything.
All I'm saying is, "take it easy." Leave plenty of time for just sitting and decompressing. The most important thing for him is to be HOME. I'm not saying don't make it special... just don't hit him with everything at once. Be watchful (in a subtle way) for mood changes, and above all, if they happen, DON'T take them personally.
