Credit three things for the creation of A Hero's Welcome, a fast-growing nonprofit that wants returning vets to know their efforts are appreciated.

First, there was Sharon Hyland Keyser's fiance, serving with the 173d Airborne Brigade in Afghanistan.

Then there were the vets she saw marching last year in the Fourth of July parade in Pottstown, Pa. A sailor from World War II, easily fitting into his old uniform, carried a huge flag, a reminder of a time when the country rallied behind its troops and a cause. Farther back were the Vietnam vets, evoking memories of a very different era.

Third was the decision. Stay with a full-time, six-figure sales career, or fulfill a "strong desire to give back"?

Keyser, 28, went with fulfillment, investing her savings in A Hero's Welcome in August. The nonprofit has since been featured on cable news shows and has chapters and organizers around the country.

The goal is simple. To thank those who serve. Here's Keyser's challenge: "Put your political thoughts aside, and honor our troops when they come home."

When people find out you have a loved one overseas, Keyser says, they often want to come over and say they don't support the war, but they do support the troops.

"They always want to tell me we shouldn't be there," Keyser says. "Well, I don't care what you think about the war. I. Don't. Care. You're worried about telling me your two cents about the war, and I'm worried about an unfamiliar car in my parking lot. I'm worried about the phone ringing with bad news."

She's not saying march in lockstep, just to put the troops before the politics.

She wants communities to know when a hometown hero is back. To thank vets when they see them in the grocery store. To pick up the tab for them in local restaurants.

When Keyser gets a call from a family member about a soldier, Marine, sailor or airman coming home, she tries to find out what the vet is like, what he or she has missed the most, what one thing would make that homecoming complete.

Sometimes the family wants a show of support but not a major production. It's simply Keyser, a few vets and a Welcome Home banner joining the family to clap and cheer as the soldier steps off the airplane.

Other welcomings include an airport salute, a celebration at the vet's favorite restaurant or bar, an introduction to vets of past wars, even visits to local schools.

"I want kids to see what a real hero looks like," Keyser says. "Don't look up to Paris Hilton or Lindsay Lohan. Look up to real heroes."

One recent airport homecoming feted Spec. Adam Campbell, a 20-year-old from Pottstown who had spent 15 months with the First Cavalry Division in Camp Taji, near Baghdad.

Campbell's flight was three hours late, so his family warned him not to expect much of a welcome. Imagine his surprise then, to see about 50 people — parents, grandparents, friends from high school, and Keyser's volunteers — cheering and applauding his arrival. The biggest treat was meeting his new sister, born while he was deployed.

"It was crazy," he says. "I got off the plane, and everybody started yelling. It was definitely a really sweet experience."

Even if you're not part of the welcoming committee, expect to be invited to join in. Keyser will approach strangers in the airport. Want to welcome a vet? Would you clap and wave with us?

Vietnam vets are big supporters of Keyser's work, and not just for the initial homecoming. They'll take the new vet out for coffee or a beer, call later to make sure things are OK.

"Troops need other troops to talk to, and they've been a huge, huge help," Keyser says.

The older guys and Keyser also help vets and their families with referrals when the inevitable problems arise in the transition to civilian life.

"Think about how stressful situations at work keep you up at night," Keyser says. "Then imagine being in a war zone for 15 months with being shot at and mortar attacks. There's an adjustment period, and we try to help our families through that."

Keyser claims to have no favorites of the welcomes she has organized. But one soldier has to count himself luckiest. That was Ian Keyser, home on leave from Afghanistan in the fall. He married the woman cheering at the airport.

Kevin Ferris is commentary page editor of the Philadelphia Inquirer.