A Lumberton family received an early Christmas gift.
Crowds lined down Highway 96 holding signs to welcome home a hometown hero.
Marine Lance Corporal Tyler Cowart returned from Afghanistan.
He was escorted not by Santa, but by some other guys in red, the Red Knight Motorcycle Club.
This is only the second Christmas in four years that Cowart's been home.
Before Afghanistan, he served in Iraq.
He'll report back to duty January 5th.