MACON, Miss. (AP) -- Former hostage Thomas Hamill returned to American soil early Saturday, stepping off a private jet to see a banner proclaiming ``Welcome Home TOMMY'' and to hear family and friends cheering and clapping wildly.
Hamill, 44, and his wife, Kellie, landed just before 1 a.m. at a small airport about 30 miles from their home in Macon. They were met at the plane by about a dozen friends and neighbors; members of the media outnumbered the supporters 2 to 1.
A state highway patrol car whisked away the couple, who waved to the group. Several people chased the car down the street.
Hamill, whose plight captured the attention of the nation, escaped his Iraqi captors Sunday and has been treated for an arm injury at Landstuhl Regional Medical Center in Germany. He was wounded when his convoy was ambushed April 9.
He spent the pre-dawn hours with his family before settling down for an extended rest.
``He is still in bed this morning,'' said family spokeswoman Aly Goodwin-Gregg, part of the same public relations team hired by former POW Jessica Lynch. ``I can tell you he is thrilled to be home with his family. His children were awake when he arrived, so he got to see them and other family members.''
Goodwin-Gregg said there were no plans for any public statements by Hamill.
When he arrived at his home, wearing blue jeans and a red western-style shirt, the truck driver raised his arm in the cast to a handful of television cameras and said something that couldn't be clearly heard.
Longtime friend Jesse Green, who rode in a patrol car behind the Hamills, spoke with reporters briefly before going inside. He described Hamill as ``relieved'' to be back in the United States.
Asked if Hamill fully understood the community support shown during his captivity, Green said: ``He'll be learning that in the next few days.''
Waiting for Hamill inside were his 12-year-old daughter, Tori; his 14-year-old son, Thomas; and his mother, Phyllis Hamill, who lives with the family.
Hamill said earlier this week that he was particularly looking forward to quiet time with his children. As a result, Macon Mayor Dorothy Baker Hines said plans for a parade and other celebrations in his hometown were called off for now.
In an interview Friday, Phyllis Hamill said her son faces additional treatment for his arm.
``He's got to have a bone graft and skin graft _ that's a priority,'' she said.
After meeting with his family, one of the first things Hamill will have to deal with are letters and calls offering him movie and book deals.
``He's got mail about movie deals and all sorts of things,'' Phyllis Hamill said.
``I don't even think he'll consider that for a while,'' she said. ``He says foremost is there are people still over there in the military and others that are still being held hostage and all. Next is his family, seeing his kids.''
Stephen Goodwin, part of the public relations team hired by the family, said Hamill had made no decision about a book deal. Lynch received a book deal valued at $1 million and a network turned her story into a television movie.
Josie Harvey, secretary to the Macon mayor, said Hamill's popularity is obvious _ and pointed to a large cardboard box filled with letters of support. Addresses on the envelopes, sent in care of the city, were from as far away as California and New York.
``Most of these envelopes have money in them,'' she said.
Friends and volunteers cut the grass and placed flowers outside the Hamill home on Friday, and another friend planned to paint the brick home's white trim on Saturday.
Yellow police tape kept waiting media crews off the lawn, and ribbons decorated the two white columns in front of the modest brick home. Red, white and blue balloons floating atop the mail box.
Some in this rural east Mississippi community of about 2,500 have grown tired of the media attention.
Macon Alderman Willie Dixon, 52, said the excitement generated by Hamill's return was never matched for local soldiers who returned from Iraq, many of them wounded.
``It's not right,'' he said. ``I'm glad he got away, but we need to think about those people who are over there now,'' and the soldiers who served, he said.
Associated Press writer Kathy Hanrahan contributed to this report.
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