COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) - More than 20,000 people turned out at Williams-Brice Stadium here to welcome home South Carolina-based military personnel who took part in operations in Iraq.

Gov. Mark Sanford, U.S. Sen. Lindsay Graham and U.S. Rep. Joe Wilson were among those who attended the "America 2003" patriotic celebration Sunday night.

The nearly two hours of speeches, music and pageantry was organized by First Baptist Church of Columbia and Brookland Baptist Church of West Columbia as the state's official "Welcome Home" celebration for troops returning from Operation Iraqi Freedom.

At least 9,400 active duty, reservists or National Guard troops were deployed from South Carolina during the operation.

"Freedom is not free, and tonight we want to remind ourselves of that," Sanford said.

Graham praised the military's post-9/11 efforts.

"People ask me how long we're going to be in Afghanistan ... and they ask me how long we're going to be in Iraq and I tell them, as long as it takes," Graham said. "And if we need to go back, we'll go back."

There was a special tribute for the late Sen. Strom Thurmond, who died Thursday. Thurmond served in World War II.

American flags at the stadium flew at half staff, and a short tribute to Thurmond was shown on the stadium's giant video screen.

"God bless Sen. Thurmond and all he's done for South Carolina," Graham said.

As the band played the Wild Blue Yonder, the U.S. Air Force anthem, veteran Bruce Miller stood up to be recognized.

"I was young when I joined up in 1956, and seeing all these young people that have done the same to protect our freedoms, well, it's something special," said Miller, 67, of Gaston.

Other highlights of the celebration included a fly over of F-16 fighter jets from Shaw Air Force Base near Sumter, hundreds of dancers and a fireworks display.

Thousands of Fort Jackson soldiers filled one large section of the stadium.

Attendance was not compulsory.

"My commander gave us the option of going or not," said Adam Jackson, 19, of Florida, who enlisted three days after the terrorist attack in 2001.

"I'm hoping that I'll be going to Iraq in a couple of weeks," said Jackson. "Where the action is, is the first place I want to be. "I didn't sign up to sit on my couch."

Information from: The State