thedrifter
03-05-06, 08:14 AM
Posted on Sun, Mar. 05, 2006
Preschool parade honors Marine
By PETER FROST
The (Hilton Head) Island Packet
HILTON HEAD ISLAND — Bikes with training wheels, decked out in stars and stripes, and little red wagons adorned with miniature American flags and patriotic balloons circled the parking lot of the Island Lutheran Preschool on Hilton Head Island.
The miniature parade held last month honored Capt. Glenn Mariott, a Bluffton Marine who just returned from a yearlong stint in Iraq.
The 26 pint-sized participants between ages 3 and 5 — all wearing homemade red, white and blue shirts and hats — followed behind the uniformed Mariott, who walked hand in hand with his daughter, Kristen, a student at the school.
“It was a great event, and it was very important to Kristen, because her dad was away for so long,” said Deiha Torin, director of the preschool who organized the parade. “She was excited, we were excited and all of the kids were so excited.”
As children waved flags and circled the lot, parents and staff applauded and thanked Mariott for his service.
“It’s such a wonderful feeling knowing all of the friends and family that have supported me,” Mariott said. “It’s an honor for me to be here. It’s a pretty cool thing knowing that people appreciate the things we’re doing.”
He first visited the classroom during a short leave in November and talked to the children about his life in the Marines as a Tactical Air Command Center senior watch officer.
He ensures that broken aircraft receive repair parts so they can return to flight as quickly as possible.
He was stationed at Camp Al Asad, the second-largest air base in Iraq, about 110 miles northwest of Baghdad. His daughter’s class sent care packages, which included banners the students made at school, potato chips, mouthwash, candy, Gatorade, photos and cards. Parents of the students donated the supplies, and the school took care of sending the packages.
“It’s pretty tough being away from your family for so long,” Mariott said. The care packages “are just a small piece of home — the creature comforts — that are so nice to have when you’re over there.”
Ellie
Preschool parade honors Marine
By PETER FROST
The (Hilton Head) Island Packet
HILTON HEAD ISLAND — Bikes with training wheels, decked out in stars and stripes, and little red wagons adorned with miniature American flags and patriotic balloons circled the parking lot of the Island Lutheran Preschool on Hilton Head Island.
The miniature parade held last month honored Capt. Glenn Mariott, a Bluffton Marine who just returned from a yearlong stint in Iraq.
The 26 pint-sized participants between ages 3 and 5 — all wearing homemade red, white and blue shirts and hats — followed behind the uniformed Mariott, who walked hand in hand with his daughter, Kristen, a student at the school.
“It was a great event, and it was very important to Kristen, because her dad was away for so long,” said Deiha Torin, director of the preschool who organized the parade. “She was excited, we were excited and all of the kids were so excited.”
As children waved flags and circled the lot, parents and staff applauded and thanked Mariott for his service.
“It’s such a wonderful feeling knowing all of the friends and family that have supported me,” Mariott said. “It’s an honor for me to be here. It’s a pretty cool thing knowing that people appreciate the things we’re doing.”
He first visited the classroom during a short leave in November and talked to the children about his life in the Marines as a Tactical Air Command Center senior watch officer.
He ensures that broken aircraft receive repair parts so they can return to flight as quickly as possible.
He was stationed at Camp Al Asad, the second-largest air base in Iraq, about 110 miles northwest of Baghdad. His daughter’s class sent care packages, which included banners the students made at school, potato chips, mouthwash, candy, Gatorade, photos and cards. Parents of the students donated the supplies, and the school took care of sending the packages.
“It’s pretty tough being away from your family for so long,” Mariott said. The care packages “are just a small piece of home — the creature comforts — that are so nice to have when you’re over there.”
Ellie