GRAND FORKS - A soldier from this city who was wounded by a roadside bomb in Iraq has returned home. Marine Lance Cpl. Ben Lunak, 22, was wounded in February when the Humvee in which he was riding drove over a roadside bomb.

He had been stationed near Ramadi, west of Baghdad. He lost part of a leg and has had multiple surgeries.

Two soldiers were killed in the explosion.

About 30 family members and friends, holding miniature U.S. flags, were waiting for Lunak's flight to come in at the Grand Forks airport on Saturday. The group cheered him on as he walked through the security area.

"It feels good to be back," Lunak said. "This is amazing."

Lunak suffered injuries to his abdomen and right leg, which was amputated below the knee. He was wounded just four days before he was scheduled to leave Iraq, said his father, Duane Lunak.

Ben Lunak recovered sooner than expected, earning him the nickname "The Miracle Kid" from impressed doctors at the Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington, D.C.

"His positive attitude had a lot to do with his quick recovery," said Cindy Lunak, his mother.

Lunak was able to walk up to each waiting person on Saturday to thank them for showing up. He also plans to walk down the aisle with his sister, Erica, at her wedding on July 8.

"When I last saw him, he was bedridden and having a surgery every other day. It will be good to be able to see him walking around," Erica Lunak said.

Ben Lunak will be in town for three weeks before returning to Washington, D.C., to complete his discharge from the military. After that, he said he'll return to Grand Forks for good.

Doctors expect him to need a few more months of rehabilitation, which will be done at Altru Hospital in Grand Forks.

Ben Lunak plans to attend the University of North Dakota next year, aiming to get a business degree.