EVERETT — Marilyn Rexilius of Everett wishes she could give her son Eric a hug the moment he steps off the plane from Iraq.

The 32-year-old Apache helicopter mechanic will return to his Army base in Germany this month after serving for a year in Iraq.

His mother, a 911 emergency dispatcher, can’t travel there to meet him, so she’s doing the next-best thing: sending him and his fellow soldiers a gift to show them how much Snohomish County cares.

Rexilius collected more than 200 T-shirts for the soldiers from more than 20 fire departments in the county.

"I don’t get to see the homecoming, so it’s important to know they’re welcomed back and shown that we appreciate the sacrifices they’ve made going off to war," Rexilius said.

The shirts, some custom-designed, are accompanied by cards and letters from firefighters thanking the soldiers for their service.

Everett firefighters signed the shirts with messages such as "Contents: 1 Hero" and "Thank you for protecting me and my family."

Rexilius, who has dispatched firefighters to emergencies for 23 years, knows every department in the county, but said she was surprised at how eager firefighters were to help.

"She’s doing this out of love for her son, and we’re doing this out of love for her," said Everett Capt. Dave Salvadalena. "We appreciate what her son’s done for the country, and what all soldiers are doing."

Since the Sept. 11 attacks, firefighters feel a stronger link "between us as firefighters serving our community and the military serving our country as a whole," said Everett firefighter Jack Murrin.

Some county firefighters also previously served in the military or are members of the military reserves, he noted.

Rexilius started the project on March 15 and expects to ship a box of the shirts this week.

"It’s hard to be an Army mom. This project has helped me keep my mind off the deaths happening over there," she said.

Firefighters also donated patches and stickers for the soldiers. Those will be raffled off at a party for the returning soldiers, Rexilius said.

She hopes to eventually visit her son, who is based in Hanau, Germany. He’s the father of two boys, Christian, 11, and Connor, 9, who live in Everett with their mother’s parents.

Shirts were donated by firefighters in Everett, Lynnwood, Oso, Goldbar, Clearview, Snohomish County Fire District 1, Snohomish, Stanwood, Getchell, Granite Falls, Tulalip Bay, Bryant, Sultan, Arlington, Index, Monroe, Silvana, Mukilteo, Snohomish County Airport Fire Department at Paine Field, and the Boeing Co. fire department.

Rexilius is also sending a copy of the Snohomish County Council’s "Support Our Troops" resolution passed in March.

Reporter Katherine Schiffner: 425-339-3436 or schiffner@heraldnet.com.

MICHAEL V. MARTINA / The Herald