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I do not know how long this link will remain active. It was the front page article of this past Sunday's Pottstown Mercury.

http://www.pottsmerc.com/articles/20...0007651846.txt

This is completely adorable.

By Eileen Faust, efaust@pottsmerc.com



Click to enlarge
EAST COVENTRY — Valentine's Day came a little late but was a lot sweeter for one Chester County family last week when they were presented with the surprise return of their airman who had been away at war.

Lt. Col. Eric Turnbull was expecting to read to his daughter Faith's Kindergarten class at East Coventry Elementary School Wednesday but instead was presented with a surprise assembly and an even more surprised mother and brother.

Barbara and Dan Turnbull of Exton, mother and brother to Lt. Col. Turnbull, thought they were coming out to see her granddaughter win an award. Instead, they walked into the auditorium and saw a sea of students all wearing red and waving American flags, and their beloved airman standing there.

"I really appreciate everything they did. It's been a rough year," said Barbara Turnbull, tears streaming down her face as she stood next to her family.

"I didn't know they were doing all this," said Grace Turnbull, wife of the lieutenant colonel who is also a counselor at East Earl Elementary School. "He was just supposed to come to class to read. We're very blessed, very fortunate."

The school put on a slideshow to music and Faith Turnbull sang to her father before the students filed out for their Valentine's Day parties, shaking the lieutenant colonel's hand on the way out.

"Having my daughter sing to me was just unbelievable," he said.

Faith was also chosen to be the good citizenship presenter for the day.

"I've been in the Air Force for over 25 years and I've been to lots of parades and awards ceremonies," said Lt. Col. Turnbull, "but this is by far the nicest thing I've ever been honored with."

Turnbull said he got by in Iraq by writing stories to his daughter about one of her socks that he found stuck to his uniform after he left home. Turnbull pulled out the sock, a black-and-white striped one called "Sockie," along with a toy named Sgt. Picklepants, which he had brought with him for the storytime in his daughter's class.

Barbara Turnbull explained that her son took the sock and toy everywhere and took photos of them in different places he went and sent them back to Faith along with a new story. She said one of the memorable photos was a picture of an Iraqi soldier holding up the striped sock.

Turnbull read stories about Sockie and Sgt. Picklepants to Faith's class that afternoon.

"I couldn't have asked for a better welcome," he said.