"About 60 people, including 29 young children carrying American flags and red, white and blue balloons, gathered Friday morning at Reno-Tahoe International Airport to welcome Jake Sitko home from Iraq.
When the 19-year-old Reed High School graduate appeared, wearing his military uniform, the family and friends started yelling, clapping and crying.“Jake! Yeah! Sitko! Yeah! Welcome Home!”
Sister Carly Sitko ran to her older brother, and mother Lois Dadek followed, hugging her son and kissing him on the cheek.
Sitko, a private first class in the Army, spent most of the last year in Basra, serving as a gunner on a Humvee, he said. He is home on two-week leave.
“I get to go home to see my family and friends,” Sitko said. “It’s been 10 and a half months since I’ve seen any of these people.”
His sister had trouble finding words to express her emotions.“I don’t know how to explain it,” said Carly Sitko, 16. “But I’m just excited that he’s home even for a little while.”
The airport gathering came as a surprise, the soldier said. While he was expecting his mother, sister, uncle and a few other family friends, he had no idea the welcome party would be so big.The children, from Hippity Hop Learning Center, came at the request of Trish Svare, a major in the Nevada Army National Guard who owned the center for six years before selling it earlier this year.
“Supporting their community exposes them to what’s out there,” said Svare, the family programs director for the guard. “When they see soldiers, they should know that they’re an important part of the community.”
Also present were several members of the Truckee Meadows Nevada Blue Star Mothers of America, a group of women with children in active duty.
“Our main focus is to support our sons and daughters and everyone else who serves,” said Paula Fleming, president of the Reno-Sparks chapter. “It’s critical that the community support these guys and what they’re doing.” "
Returning soldier gets grand greeting www.rgj.com Reno Gazette-Journal:
No comments:
Post a Comment