thedrifter
07-23-07, 06:02 AM
'Don't go, Daddy'
July 23, 2007
BY KENDRICK MARSHALL kmarshall@scn1.com
Delana Kuzelka did not want to say goodbye just yet.
The 5-year-old from Kenosha clutched the left leg of her father, Robert, a Zion native, trying to buy a few more moments with him before the Marine departed Naval Station Great Lakes on Sunday and headed for his third tour of duty in Iraq.
"I love you," the staff sergeant told Delana and his three other children before boarding a plane that would take him and dozens of Marines to Marine Corps Air Station in Cherry Point, N.C., to prepare for duty in the Middle East.
Even with loving words ringing in her ear, Delana could not deal with the fact that her father would no longer be tucking her into bed at night for the next six months.
"Don't go, Daddy," she cried to him as he disappeared into the distance on a bus headed to O'Hare International Airport. "Don't go."
That emotion was shared by many families who hugged, cried and waved goodbye to their departing soldiers.
The soldiers posed for photos, kissed their significant others and spent time thinking about the future.
"It's always tough when they have to leave," said Robert's wife, Karen. "But military families usually find ways to adjust to it."
And the 30-year-old mother said she will focus her attention on preparing the kids for school and taking care of the family's dog, Napoleon.
"That's what I'm going to do when Robert is gone," she said. "I can't worry myself crazy."
Leaving can be even more difficult for the Marines themselves, who have to stay focused on the mission at hand while taking their leave of loved ones.
"It's going to be hard leaving behind my daughter," said Lance Cpl. Scott Johnson of Waukegan, heading to his first tour of duty in Iraq. "I will think about her all the time while I'm over there."
Even though the soldiers and their families will be thousands of miles apart for the next year, the reasons for it keep them strong.
"I love it," Kuzelka said. "The Marines have given me a sense of self-worth and pride for my country. I enjoy the fact we are going over there to do something great for the United States. There is no better job out there for me."
Ellie
July 23, 2007
BY KENDRICK MARSHALL kmarshall@scn1.com
Delana Kuzelka did not want to say goodbye just yet.
The 5-year-old from Kenosha clutched the left leg of her father, Robert, a Zion native, trying to buy a few more moments with him before the Marine departed Naval Station Great Lakes on Sunday and headed for his third tour of duty in Iraq.
"I love you," the staff sergeant told Delana and his three other children before boarding a plane that would take him and dozens of Marines to Marine Corps Air Station in Cherry Point, N.C., to prepare for duty in the Middle East.
Even with loving words ringing in her ear, Delana could not deal with the fact that her father would no longer be tucking her into bed at night for the next six months.
"Don't go, Daddy," she cried to him as he disappeared into the distance on a bus headed to O'Hare International Airport. "Don't go."
That emotion was shared by many families who hugged, cried and waved goodbye to their departing soldiers.
The soldiers posed for photos, kissed their significant others and spent time thinking about the future.
"It's always tough when they have to leave," said Robert's wife, Karen. "But military families usually find ways to adjust to it."
And the 30-year-old mother said she will focus her attention on preparing the kids for school and taking care of the family's dog, Napoleon.
"That's what I'm going to do when Robert is gone," she said. "I can't worry myself crazy."
Leaving can be even more difficult for the Marines themselves, who have to stay focused on the mission at hand while taking their leave of loved ones.
"It's going to be hard leaving behind my daughter," said Lance Cpl. Scott Johnson of Waukegan, heading to his first tour of duty in Iraq. "I will think about her all the time while I'm over there."
Even though the soldiers and their families will be thousands of miles apart for the next year, the reasons for it keep them strong.
"I love it," Kuzelka said. "The Marines have given me a sense of self-worth and pride for my country. I enjoy the fact we are going over there to do something great for the United States. There is no better job out there for me."
Ellie