HATTIESBURG &8212; Word raced through the cold Camp Shelby night.

&8220;They&8217;re coming! They&8217;re coming!&8221;

The expectant crowd had come from many different places &8212; Mississippi, Louisiana, Alabama, Arkansas, Florida &8212; but they were all there for the same reason.

The 155th Mississippi National Guard Infantry was coming home.

&8220;This is the best Christmas present ever,&8221; Kathy Hutton said in anticipation of her son Sgt. John Hutton&8217;s return.

&8220;Having my family all together is what it&8217;s all about, and all my kids will be with me.&8221;

Kathy Hutton and her other sons, Travis Holley and Andy Hutton, had spent the night in Hattiesburg, the result of miscommunication (&8220;I got the days mixed up,&8221; Kathy Hutton said), but none of that mattered late Friday afternoon when six buses finally pulled up and the soldiers poured out.

Each group searched the disembarking soldiers for their loved one, some shrieking with joy upon making contact. There were bear hugs between family members, daddies twirling kids and long, long kisses between reunited sweethearts.

And there was &8220;Skeeter! Skeeter!&8221; flying through the air as Kathy Hutton found her son.

Sgt. John Hutton, 26, hugged his mother and brothers. He said he was glad to be home and looked forward to getting back to the Miss-Lou.

&8220;I want to get home and spend time with my wife and kids,&8221; he said.

His wife, Debbie, was home in Vidalia with their three children.

The homecoming scene was one Sgt. Bryan Bullock, of Monterey, was eager to get home for. He hopped in one of the Hutton&8217;s cars, excusing himself with a grinning, &8220;I&8217;m sorry. I&8217;ve got to go.&8221;

By their reckoning, they were the only two local members of the 155th on the first plane into Biloxi. Several more are expected to return today.

One person setting another place at the Christmas dinner table is Glenda Grayson, whose husband is scheduled to come in this morning.

&8220;We were planning on holding off on Christmas until he came home,&8221; Grayson said by telephone. &8220;But now that he&8217;s coming home, we&8217;re going to go ahead and have it. It&8217;s the best thing I could ask for.&8221;

The electric scene of arrival will repeat itself many times until the entire 3,500-plus soldiers of the 155th have returned, which is expected in mid-January.