Army dad surprises children at school
By PAT FRIDGEN Echo Pilot

Tucker Dodge embraces his dad in the doorway of his classroom. Chris Dodge received an unexpected leave from Iraq to spend a couple weeks with his family in Greencastle.

Thanksgiving came early for the Dodge family.

And a birthday present couldn't be wrapped in silver foil. It came in the form of a hug.

SSG James 'Chris' Dodge surprised his children Thursday when he showed up in their classrooms at Greencastle Antrim Elementary School. He was deployed to Iraq last May and they next expected to see him in May 2008.

Mikinna, 9, was seated at her desk in Mrs. Jill Gilbert's fourth-grade classroom when her mother entered with a video camera.

"Hi Mickie," said Shawn Dodge.

"Hi Mom."

The 9-year-old then glanced at the doorway.

"Dad!" she screamed, and flew into his arms.

Father and daughter hugged for a long time. Gilbert explained to the awestruck classmates that Mikinna was crying for joy.

The family proceeded to Mrs. Debbie Wine's thirdgrade classroom.

Again Shawn entered first. When 8-year-old Tucker saw the uniformed man in the doorway, he grinned from ear to ear.

Mikinna Dodge clings to her father, whom she had not seen since May. He surprised her at school last Thursday.

"Dad!"

He continued to sit, staring and smiling. Finally he ran into the outstretched arms of the soldier.

The surprise trip

Chris and Shawn did not tell their children he might be coming home because it wasn't a certainty.

"I didn't know for sure until today," said Shawn.

"Twenty-four hours ago I was in Iraq," Chris said.

He flew into Atlanta, then Baltimore where Shawn picked him up.

"I tried not to cry," she said. "It didn't work."

Chris, 38, is in the Maryland Army National Guard, serving as the squad leader of an infantry company. He first joined the Army Reserves in 1989 and was in the Special Forces. In his last Guard deployment he was gone for 18 months. When working as a civilian, he is a transportation officer for the Maryland Division of Corrections.

Shawn noted that Chris was completely out of the military for a year, then signed up for active duty again.

"Some people were rather upset by that," her husband said.

Shawn gave him the choice, not wanting him to regret any decisions later.

He is home on 15-day leave and will be there when Mikinna blows out her 10 birthday candles.

Mikinna said she was very happy and Tucker said, "I'm feeling great."

Curiosity

Students in Wine's classroom had the opportunity to ask questions.

"How is it over there?" asked one boy.

"You know what you see on TV?" Chris said. "It's not like that. The kids are just like you guys. When they see us they beg us for water bottles or soccer balls, things they don't have. Some of them have no shoes and some have no parents."

In response to the queries, he said he finds out one day in advance where the troops are sent and that most of the enemy now is not even from Iraq. People who want to harm US forces entered the country to fight. He explained that service in the National Guard is now much more than one weekend per month.

He encouraged the youngsters to thank their parents for keeping them safe and for providing what they need. Shawn also told them not to worry so much about what they get for Christmas, but to be grateful for what they already have.

The classroom gave a rousing round of applause as the war abroad touched home a little bit on November 15. And the reunited Greencastle family went home to spend their precious time together.