June 29, 2009
Something to celebrate

Military brothers come home for sister's graduation

By Salle E. Richards
srichards@gannett.com

Every student has only one high school graduation, already a special occasion.

For Marissa Woods, 18, of Elmira Heights, the celebration was even better because her two brothers, both in the military, came to her graduation party Sunday.

Both men expect to be deployed overseas later this year.

Donald Pritchard, 27, the older brother, started his military career as a Marine. He had a desk job in accounting but wanted more action.

"It's hard to change jobs in the Marines, so I left and joined the Army," he said.

Now he works as a combat engineer with a special assignment handling a bomb dog. His dog, a German shorthaired pointer, is also a mine-detecting dog.

"That's why I'm going back," he said. "I know we save lives."

He has already served one tour in Iraq and expects he will go back to the Middle East this year.

He said it wasn't too hard to get a few days off for his sister's graduation.

"We're a close family," said Lisa Woods, their mother.

James Radford, 20, had to work a little harder to come home.

His training for deployment to Afghanistan in the Air Force starts in August.

"I tried to get him to go to college for two years," Lisa Woods said. "But considering the economy, it looks like he made the right decision."

With two sons already in the service, she really didn't want Marissa to enlist.

"But she uses that card on me," Lisa Woods said with a smile.

Marissa wants to go to Onondaga Community College to study psychology. However, the dormitories already are full for the next semester so she will start at Corning Community College.

"Then I'll go," she said.

Her graduation was a real family reunion Sunday.

Donald Pritchard brought his wife, Erica, and their 18-month-old daughter, Kerrigan, home. The couple met in Army dog-training school.

"We all love dogs," Lisa Woods said.

"Except I want a kitten," Marissa joked.

Lisa Woods became more somber as she thought about the pending overseas deployment of her two sons.

"I didn't think they'd send them both at the same time," she said. "I know they don't tell me everything."

Ellie