thedrifter
10-14-08, 08:37 AM
October 14, 2008
Marine surprises children with visit to Tulare school
BY LUIS HERNANDEZ
lhernand@visalia.gannett.com
Tim Stahl gave his three school-aged children a big surprise Monday.
After completing a 10-month deployment with the U.S. Marines Corps, Stahl picked up his two daughters and son from school to spend time with them. The children, Timothy, 3, Madison, 8, and Alexis, 12, didn't know Stahl had been granted leave, surprising each one of them when he showed up at their school.
"It was hard," said Stahl, a staff sergeant. "Being away from your children is hard. I wondered if I would see them again."
Stahl was deployed to an anti-terrorism camp in Africa, completing missions to prevent terrorist attacks in the area.
"There's terrorism in that area," he said. "People think terrorism and they immediately think the Middle East."
Back home, Stahl was hugged by Timothy when the staff sergeant showed up at Wilson School's child development program. Timothy jumped into his dad's arms after immediately recognizing him.
Father and son sat next to each other and had a spaghetti lunch, along with the rest of the class.
Spending time with his son made the lunch a much better experience, he said.
"It was wonderful," he said. "Sitting next to him, I could have been eating spinach."
Timothy lent his father a spork, fed him spaghetti and string beans and even served him milk.
"This is great," Stahl said.
After finishing lunch, Stahl went to pick up his daughter Madison, an 8-year-old third-grade student at Wilson School.
Stahl walked into the classroom and asked for his daughter, who, along with the rest of the class, was listening to a reading from the teacher. Madison sprang from where she was sitting and hugged her father.
The two embraced and fought back tears as they spoke quietly.
Stahl then introduced himself to the teacher and class.
It was on to Live Oak Middle School, where Stahl's 12-year-old daughter, Alexis, attends. The girl was told to report to the school office, where she saw and ran to hug her father. All four of them shared a family hug just outside the school's office.
Returning home from dangerous military service is something not all military personnel get to do.
"It doesn't seem real," Stahl said. "It feels great because I am home."
Ellie
Marine surprises children with visit to Tulare school
BY LUIS HERNANDEZ
lhernand@visalia.gannett.com
Tim Stahl gave his three school-aged children a big surprise Monday.
After completing a 10-month deployment with the U.S. Marines Corps, Stahl picked up his two daughters and son from school to spend time with them. The children, Timothy, 3, Madison, 8, and Alexis, 12, didn't know Stahl had been granted leave, surprising each one of them when he showed up at their school.
"It was hard," said Stahl, a staff sergeant. "Being away from your children is hard. I wondered if I would see them again."
Stahl was deployed to an anti-terrorism camp in Africa, completing missions to prevent terrorist attacks in the area.
"There's terrorism in that area," he said. "People think terrorism and they immediately think the Middle East."
Back home, Stahl was hugged by Timothy when the staff sergeant showed up at Wilson School's child development program. Timothy jumped into his dad's arms after immediately recognizing him.
Father and son sat next to each other and had a spaghetti lunch, along with the rest of the class.
Spending time with his son made the lunch a much better experience, he said.
"It was wonderful," he said. "Sitting next to him, I could have been eating spinach."
Timothy lent his father a spork, fed him spaghetti and string beans and even served him milk.
"This is great," Stahl said.
After finishing lunch, Stahl went to pick up his daughter Madison, an 8-year-old third-grade student at Wilson School.
Stahl walked into the classroom and asked for his daughter, who, along with the rest of the class, was listening to a reading from the teacher. Madison sprang from where she was sitting and hugged her father.
The two embraced and fought back tears as they spoke quietly.
Stahl then introduced himself to the teacher and class.
It was on to Live Oak Middle School, where Stahl's 12-year-old daughter, Alexis, attends. The girl was told to report to the school office, where she saw and ran to hug her father. All four of them shared a family hug just outside the school's office.
Returning home from dangerous military service is something not all military personnel get to do.
"It doesn't seem real," Stahl said. "It feels great because I am home."
Ellie