Photo of the morning
From my native South Jersey, here’s something to bring a smile to your face and probably a few tears to your eyes this Friday morning. First, click for the photo. Then, read the accompanying story and make sure to view the other pictures.
A few of the quotes that had me choking up:
“As our country has honored us, we want to honor our country.”
“I worry about my dad every second of every day. But I’m proud to have a dad in the Army.”
“For my report, I asked my dad if he likes being a soldier. He said he likes it because he gets to help people. He’s very proud and that’s one of the main things he joined the Army for.”
And the last line of the Courier Post piece:
“Home is where the Army sends us. We’ll roll with whatever comes.”
Hell of a difference in this story compared with how those craven Olympia moonbats treat their kids, huh?
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» Good enough
If I read that correctly, we had a teacher *and* a principal working on the side of Goodness & Light!
It seems there may yet be hope for academia!
Awesome.
Wow, what an amazing family. I’m glad to see there are still good teachers out there, too!
Thanks for a wonderful article.
It’s appropriate that the Col. is home for Thanksgiving.
All America should bow their heads in thanks to he and his fellow service men and women.
Enjoy your wife, your kids, and your well earned break!
Thanks, nice way to start the day.
Thanks Michelle for a great start to a Friday … this should be used as an example to all the schools across this nation … the purpose may have been to surprise the Braun children but I can guarantee that none of the other children in that school will ever forget what happened yesterday …
Thank you Michelle. It puts things in perspective, doesn’t it!
Thank you to Lars for serving our country and thank you to the wife & kiddos who sacrifice their time with him so that he can preserve my freedom and that of my family.
Excellant and these kids have received one of the greatest Thanksgiving gifts of the year-Their parent safely home from a combat tour of duty.
GSP
“I worry about my dad every second of every day. But I’m proud to have a dad in the Army,” she said.
A nine year old girl has more common sense then half of America.
Semper Fi
awesome……just plain awesome
When looking at these pictures and reading this story, it gave me a flashback and I immediately teared-up. My only daughter was nine-years old, like Rachel, when I returned from war and I remember that feeling of your child hanging on to your neck with tears of joy. But the Braun family has it far tougher; Colonel Braun has to go back for another 7-8 months. It will require more courage, strength and patriotism for them to continue; fortunately, they have it in spades. I will keep them in my prayers as I do for all of our brave warriors and their families.
What a wonderful story. What a wonderful family.
I haven’t even met Lars and his family but I feel like I know them. I love them.
May God Bless and Keep Them!
Thank you Lars! Happy Thanksgiving!
Having served in the Marines in the 80s, I still had to deploy at various times. Being able to surprise your family — and having them react that way — means all the difference. It makes the deployment worthwhile, knowing the support back home is solid.
My children were always happy to see me return, just as my brothers and sisters and I were happy when our Dad came home from his endless cruises to parts unknown.
Times like these help a great deal. Thanks, Michelle!
Semper Fi!
Andy Hefty, former Sergeant of Marines
a great story.
from the comments section, however, you can see the left knows no tact. they feel it’s their obligation, whereever there’s a story of a soldier, to bring politics into play.
I had just finished struggling through Geraldo on F&F’s…I wrote Fox, asking just why they still have that clown guest appearing everywhere under the sun on FOX…I was in a foul mood. Let me see what Michelle has cooking…I can always count on Michelle…
You’re right on the money, the surprise visit story…this pic though. The look on both of their faces..the love on their faces…this pic could melt steel.
Saving to harddrive. I’m gonna need to pull this story and pictures out from time to time. Noooo doubt.
Thanks for the heart touching story Michelle. It reminded me of my dad coming home from some of his Temporary Duty (TDY) assignments when I was a kid. My dad was my hero and that is why I followed in is footsteps by enlisting in the Air Force. When I was still flying and my son was still a toddler he would get mad at me when I packed my bags for my many TDYs and he and my wife would drop me off at the Squadron. Upon my return from my TDY he would be very excited about daddy coming home. My wife explained he would take one look at me at then instantly not want to have anything to do with me because he was mad at me for leaving him. He was very happy when I was medically disqualified so I could spend more time home with him. Actually that was the year I was able to teach him how to swim. Unfortunately many more TDY assignments and a year in Korea kept interrupting my friendship with my son, but he understood what I was doing and supported me. We are still very good friends today. Thanks for bringing back the memories in my life by sharing this wonderful story of a career soldier being able to come home for a well earned Thanksgiving. I just wish we could bring more families together, but the job is not done yet and our Military members and their families supporting them continue to suck it up to defend this nation and its interest. We can never thank them or their families enough.
The son’s face…He’s like..”it IS you!”
lol. God Bless them all.
Thanks for a great story Michelle…seem to have a little dust here in the cubicle…think I got some in my eye…
What an awesome story!! From experience, I know that returning home after an overseas tour, whether a surprise or not, is a joyous experience. Seeing family that you haven’t seen in a while and rebonding with them makes it worthwile. I also know that having to return overseas after a short leave can be somewhat sad, but knowing you will be back and will receive another warm homecoming helps fortify your spirit to go and get the job done.
Military brats (and I say that fondly because I was one) are special. There is somewhat of a bond whenever you run into someone who was a brat. Whether you were stateside or overseas, there are always experiences that are the same. You can know that the experiences are shared, even if the brat you are talking to never got close to the bases you were at or even if their parent was in another service.
I salute all of the parents and children.
Yey for the good people!
Funny - I seem to have some dust in my cubicle, too. I can remember returning from deployments, and seeing my sons. I often wish I could have been there all the time they were growing up, but because of the life I chose, that wasn’t possible. I know now they understand, and have forgiven me for missing their birthdays and holidays.
Thanks again, Michelle. You’re the greatest!
BTW - for ACHefty - AC, you’re still a sergeant of Marines, and you always will be. And you’re welcome on my Gator Freighter any time.
Great story Michelle. Tears of joy on a child’s face, priceless.
May God continue to Bless this family, all those who serve and our Country.
Thank you Michelle.
To ALL the troops & their families, THANK YOU.
Awesome story…
But you’re making me start to tear up at work. Not nice…
CPODug,
Pop me an e-mail (ACHefty@yahoo.com). Gotta grab a burger some time soon.
Yes, indeed, a heartwarming, emotional story and photo.
Brings to mind what my parents told me of my father’s homecoming from WWII on Christmas Eve, 1945.
The tears just keep coming.
Oh, SURRENDERCRATS!! Take this and like it (or his he just another liar?).
“We’re making a big difference. You can see that in everything that matters. The level of violence has dropped considerably,” he said.
“We used to experience three mortar attacks a day. We haven’t had one in the last couple of months,”
GOD Bless this family.
ACHefty, Thanks for your service and I take back “them’s fightin’ words” statement from another post. I had no idea you were a Marine and I am skert.
Semper Fi, Bro!
I want my granddaughter to go to that school!
Oops, now I’m tearing up at work.
Great story!
I was disgusted this morning, after hearing the story about officials in Cambridge, Mass. stopping Boy Scouts there from collecting items to send to the troops, saying it was too “political.” Political? It’s not about supporting the war; it’s about supporting the individuals, fellow American men and women, who are away from their homes and families, serving our country.
But I digress… This story was a wonderful change from what I’m used to hearing in the news. A family reunited, a soldier telling children why the troops are in Iraq (without being stoned for it,) a school really honoring the troops, and a newspaper reporting it all without blasting Bush or the war! Thank you so much for sharing that.
What a beautiful story! The military families today are the true backbone of our country while my political party is spineless.
Our twins were 9 mos old when Daddy came home from Korea. My mom, a WWII Gold Star mother, taped bows on the little girls heads because they had very little hair.
God bless our troops - come home soon, come home safe, come home when the job is done. Semper Fi Death Jesters in Iraq
Soap,
Nothing to forgive….I take those jabs all in good fun. My service was a pleasure, despite never having served in actual combat. I would do it again if I had to.
I echo what Ollie North said a few years earlier: These troops serving now are the best in history — better than any single battle, war, nation, or era. I am proud to have preceded them.
OT-
Sorry off topic, but the TBers are on c-span talking about Iraq. the king of spew is speaking now.
RaisedRight,
I read that one too. Kids don’t understand the political atmosphere. It’s the friggin’ Boy Scouts for crying out loud.
All it takes is one bad apple.
I wonder if that decision to remove the bins that were going to be used to collect items to send to the troops will be reversed.
As liberal as NJ is, the Boy Scouts were allowed to set up shop outside of our neighborhood Lowe’s. The scouts were selling big ole’ canisters of popcorn. The proceeds were being sent to the troops. You could also donate the popcorn you bought to be sent to the troops as well. I was shocked to see them there but I didn’t hesitate to help in their cause. It’s like my hubby has said “If supporting the troops is a political statement, that would imply that in opposing that statement, they oppose the troops. You don’t have to be a master of logic to figure that one out.
A great example of people in this world to build up, not tear down, the fabric of our society. Thanks Michelle, this story did not make my local paper.
How cool was that!!!
You might want to ask him, how did he managed to smuggle the flag onto the campus? Nice one.
Their is a comments section, but I’m gonna thank the author via email if anyone wnats to join me.
brothschild@courierpostonline.com
Not a bad idea schweggie. I’m in.
This is the kind of story that most national media would not report unless they could find a way to make it a tragic consequence of Bush’s War. No tragedy, no story.
At least some of our small town papers still do these positive human stories about our troops and their families, the positive humanitarian reasons for serving.
No mention of oil, Halliburton, Geneva Conventions or anything but the story of this one soldier and his family, and how this school did a great thing for all the kids there. None of them will forget that day.
This is America. This is what these heroes are fighting for.
Damn, something’s in my eye.
Thank you,
What wonderful photos and article, people forget that the American military is made up of your neighbors, brothers, sisters, uncles, aunts, dad, moms…you get the idea, stepping up and protecting all of us even…
The Mental Cases, in Olympia, acting out to get attention, they were really boring me!! I guess, that is how some people, make themselves feel relevent or important?
This photo above is the one, I will keep in mind, into the weekend, thanks again.
God Bless our Troops and our Allies.
God Bless our Military men/women and their families. Their sacrifice goes beyond words; and therefore, there are no words to describe this Citizens gratefulness.
Looks like not only is our military are great leaders, so are their children…
Schweggie,
I’m in too! Done.
Good idea Schweggie. Done.
Thanks for that wonderful story, I needed that. After watching the democratic debate last night, I was sick for hours after, especially looking at the mother and her son who were opposing the war. In this story here is a true hero not only to his family but for the rest of us who appreciate all he has done. God bless him and his family and all the wonderful men and women who believe in helping others. They are truely heroes.
That was a great picker upper. Thank you Michelle for keeping up front the greatness of this country and the people that make it that way.
Very cool story. Roger your posts Tennessee Dave and Boomer. I’m a navy brat, and that story and those pictures brought back a lot of memories of my brother and me greeting my dad as he returned from being at sea (Annapolis grad and 25 year sub officer). Big props to all those navy wives and moms (and husbands and dads for that matter now days) out there who pull off terrifically tough “duty” in keeping everything together while dad is out at sea.
A GREAT way to start a Friday!!!
I must say though, that seeing the headline for this story, right next to the Moonbat patrol with the mother and 2 children in masks was a bit….sad.
How great it is that we see the courage from this family!!
God Bless them and their family
Dagnabit! I’m not supposed to cry at work MM!! Post these on a weekend!
My greatest compliment to any event: it feels like comin’ home.
God I love my country’s heroes.
Thank you so much for sharing this. I am an Army officer and grew up in South Jersey, a little south of Cherry Hill. Few things are more precious to me than my little brothers (who aren’t so little anymore).
The picture of COL Braun’s little boy almost crying because he was so overcome makes my own eyes a little wet.
And yet another positive role model from the military! This man is a patriot, a true servant, a great father of four, a loving husband. I’d wager he is also a man of faith.
This is “good” news in the purest sense of the word, the kind of ray of sunshine that blasts through the media’s self-propagated storm clouds.
Schweggie,
Thanks! Done.
Yeah, there is something in both my eyes too. Having (helped to) raise a little girl into a beautiful woman, there is nothing like having that little girl wrap her arms around you and hold on tight out of sheer love and joy.
Thanks Michelle for posting this wonderful story.
Will someone pass me a tissue please?
Wow. I can’t think through the tears. The expressions on the faces of his children will be something I will never forget. Thank God for families like these!
Wow what a great treat for those children to get while in school.
Dang now I have to go and get a box of tissues from the store.
Awesome! Just simply Awesome. Our service men and women are best of america.
I did a flag history and folding class for a bunch of Cub Scouts last year. The young tyke that helped me fold the flag was so in awe that I thought he was gonna pee himself. I saluted him afterwards and he went nuts…. Afterwards , though, one of his troop leaders mentioned how it was everyone’s right to burn the flag, too. How does one have hope for the future when the present is at risk?
#46 Did “sub” stand for submarine? My brother is on eternal patrol (Barbel 316 - we never forget.)
I agree, I hope Col. Braun was able to deliver the presentation for his son as was suggested. Out military should be welcomed in school to give just such talks.
I am a bit uncomfortable with the public playing up of what should be private/family things, though. A tad too much of “made for YouTube” for my taste, like proposing on a JumboTron at halftime. But that’s just my taste.
Yup, but I would add “of the world”. Sometimes I wonder how we keep producing such amazing people.
WOW!
Just WOW!
/sniff
:’-)
Nothing like injecting mindless moral relativism into the minds of Cub Scouts. Like they really needed to hear that.
Wow, thank you Michelle for this wonderful story. There does seem to be an awful lot dust flying around here too, must be catching. I just finished reading the update on the braindeads in Olympia and then I found this. This has truly made my day a whole lot better considering a co-worker and myself just had a donkey barbeque with our boss for something we did not know (I don’t remember taking mind reading in college).Thank you Col. Braun and all the men and women who are making our lives safe. May God be with you and your family.
WPVI in Philly has a video.
I am so happy to see homecomings like this, no matter how short the stay.
Hopefully none of our soldiers will return to a family like the one I came home to from Vietnam.
My family never gave me any indication of how they felt about my Vietnam service until I had to take a cab home from the airport.
When I got to the house I had to ring the doorbell. My younger sister (14) answered, gave me a hug, kiss on the cheek and whispered she was glad I was home.
When I walked into the house I was greeted by my, WWII & Korea War Veteran, father with “Well, the conquering hero returns from his war games. Next time make sure you go to a real war”. I kept my mouth shut.
I walked into the kitchen and my mom said “Sorry I didn’t come to the door, I couldn’t break away”. She was stirring the cream and sugar in her coffee. I said “I know, it’s ok mom.” Then I said I was tired and asked if it was alright with her if I went to bed. I gave her a goodnight kiss and went to bed.
The next morning I got a room in a boarding house near downtown, went back to my parents house, loaded my duffle bag and two boxes of civies into the cab and went home. My sister was at school and was mad and upset when she came home and I was gone. She was the only one upset.
I also had three brothers, grown and on their own, who were to ashamed to be seen with a ‘baby killer’. Several months later I was on a date with a beautiful young lady of 18 yrs. We were walking down a beautiful moonlighted beach with a soft and sweet smelling sea breeze. Suddenly I heard “Hey Bro,then my name was said, Come on up.” I recognized the voice and looked to my right to see my two brother sitting about 20 ft inland, each one toking on a joint. My date asked “Who are they?” and I responded “Just some dopers who are so stoned they can’t remember they hate Vietnam vets.” We continued walking down the beach.
The next day that beautiful young woman called and told me she asked her parents what a Vietnam Vet was. She decided she didn’t want to see me anymore. That’s the Gods truth. She was very intelligent and starting at Florida State in the fall. She was just overly protected by her parents. How? I don’t know, but they could make a fortune teaching today’s parents how to do it.
Sorry to vent this on this forum, Michelle. But, after reading that story, I was just too tired and weak, after 38 yrs., to hold that door shut anymore.
Turns out that my sister, at 14, knew she was conservative and was proud of me and didn’t let anyone or anything stop her from showing it. We’re still close, and conservative.
At least, in 1969, conservatism got 25% of my family. My sister and me.
I’m really tired now. Think I’ll take a nap.
#62 Texhoma. I am real sorry you had to endure what you went through and have gone through after you got back. I was 4F so I did not go the Army although I was drafted. My brother-in-law was in Nam in 68-69. When he got back we would never talk about the war. When the traveling wall first came to Houston, we went to it, my sister, my dad, their son, myself and him. What an emotional experience. We went an ate lunch and then he completely opened up and got so much off his chest. Even after that he was still very bitter. Threw away all his metals, any signs of his military service. In 1996 he died from the results of agent orange. Thank you for your service and hope all goes well with you. The dem’s today, as back then, are putting our soldiers in harm way.
As far as the Boy Scout’s situation goes, has anyone contacted Bill O’Reilly or Glenn
Beck on this?
Awesome…what a fabulous treat for the colonel’s family at Thanksgiving time.
I wish I hadn’t read the comment thread on that article-way too many leftist nutjobs on that forum. Uh…pardon the redundancy…
I grew up in the military; Dad was an officer. We dependents are called, “military brats”, which we proudly acknowledge. Our family was a loving family and Dad was our hero. Though we moved every 3-4 years, we didn’t mind as it was always a new adventure. He’s gone now, but not forgotten. What he taught us kids will always remain with us: duty, honor, country. The picture reminded me of him. Never “goodbye”, Dad. Until our next post…..
Texhoma:
What a story…thanks for sharing that. I can’t help wondering what’s happened with your family since then, but I’m not asking.
Anyhow, God bless you, sir!
Texhoma - Thank you for your service. When my husband got home from Korea, we were busy raising our family and did not pay enough attention to Viet Nam. (#30) I deeply regret how you were treated. Today you are among friends. God bless.
Texhoma - Thank you for your service.
One thing that just kills me is that the a$$clowns that called Vietnam vets ‘baby killers’ are the same a$$clowns that are pro-abortion. You know, the practice that tears and rips 1.5 million unborn babies out of their mothers womb and into the dumpster out back? But YOU’RE the baby killer. Um. Yeah. Ok.
Got a reply from Ms Rothschild, the writer of that story…was sure to mention I found it on MM.com.
Texhoma,
Many thanks for your service to our country. Like you, my husband still struggles with the unspeakable effects of his homecoming from Viet Nam. I pray that you both find peace.
Thanks, Michelle, for the article. Wow.
What a wonderful story and photos.
Thank you,Col. Braun, and your family for your sacrifice and service.
I’m not a touchy-feely kinda guy, but that story had me genuinely choked up. Thanks Michelle, it made my day!
That’s alright, I’ll tell you.
My younger sister and I are very close and keep in touch daily.
Both of my parents have passed.
My older sister and I are complete strangers. Never see each other or communicate.
My yougest younger brother matured past drugs, became successful, married, etc. We haven’t seen each other since my mom passed, but we do talk occasionally. When we talk it’s like the fall night air, chilly
The oldest younger brother is an alcoholic and drug addict. The last time I saw him, in the 80’s, he was a Vietnam Veteran wannabe. You know, wears the hats, jackets, pin, patches etc.. He started doing it after Ronald Reagan praised Vietnam Vets and some people had a change of heart and wanted ot be our friends. So he became a Vietnam Vet to get the free beers and other bennies.
My older brother, can’t say much about him. I know he is an alcoholic and still alive.
I have never been able to understand my father attitude when I returned.
In 1985 I visited my mom for a week. One morning while sitting at the kitchen table having coffee and chatting, mostly about the neighbors, she came out of left field with the statement that my father watched the CBS news every night while I was in Vietnam. I said that was normal to watch the news. Then she said that it wasn’t normal for him because before I went to Nam he didn’t care if he missed the news to do other things. She said while I was in Nam nothing could be planned until after the nightly news. Then she told me that he was watching in hopes of seeing me on TV. Then one night in Oct 68 he got his wish. They were watching the news when Walter Conkite did a little blurb about a Special Forces Camp that was under siege by the NVA. Then they showed the film report, and there was mom and dads little boy. The report said their was less than a dozen American Soldiers and a few hundred poorly trained CIDG troops. Mom said the report talked about the mortor, rocket and artillery attack, two failed ground attacks, and ended with the gloom and doom that we could be overrun at any moment. Mom then said that they had seen the movie ‘The Green Beret’ and she thought I had been going through the attacks shown in the movie. She was close, minus overunning the camp.
I knew she was speaking truthfully, because CBS news did come out and do a report about SF Camp 104A. I never spoke to my parents about being there, and, until then, I didn’t know they saw the report.
By the way, I was not a Green Beret. I was with the 11th Light Infantry Brigade and attached to Camp 104A.
Ms. Rothschild also responded to me. I feel at liberty to share this part of her response:
I mentioned in my letter to her that I am an active duty army officer, and also that I did not care whether she supported the war or not, that stories like this can actually make that not matter for just a few minutes.
I will likewise give her a pass for her optimism regarding reporters, and for her failure to acknowledge that there are those who do not support the troops. I honestly believe she does not have an agenda, and that she genuinely respects the military.
I thought since we do quite enough bashing of reporters here (as some of them warrant), it would be good to recognize some of the good ones in the MSM machinery.