Navy Mom Surprises Son With Homecoming

POSTED: Wednesday, December 10, 2008
UPDATED: 10:46 am EST December 11, 2008



MADISON HEIGHTS, Mich. -- A Madison Heights mother returned from a 10-month tour of duty with the Navy in Kuwait into the arms of her second grade son Wednesday.

Local 4 cameras captured the tearful reunion at Edmonson Elementary School between Kelly Hartbarger and her son, Hunter, when Hartbarger surprised Hunter's class.

Hartbarger said the trip back home was a long one.

"My flight left Dec. 5. I was stuck on the plane for approximately four hours before it even took off," she said. "Then a 15, 16 hour flight to Norfolk, Va., and I've spent the last three days in Norfolk doing out-processing and just anxiously waiting to get home to my babies."

Hunter said when he first saw his mom come into the classroom he didn't believe what he was seeing.

"I thought, 'this can't be happening, I'm in heaven," he said. "I said in my dream once that all I want for Christmas is my mom back home."

Hartbarger, a medic for the Navy, said leaving her family for duty 10 months ago was "the hardest thing" she's ever done.

"I wanted to surprise them when I got home, and it's worked," Hartbarger said.

The two said the talked as much as they could via e-mail and a Web camera during the 10-month long separation.

When asked what he had missed the most during his mother's absence, Hunter said, "I missed hugging her."

Hartbarger thanked the classroom for the letters they had sent her, telling the children she had put them up in her room and looked at them every day.

Hunter was allowed to leave school for the day to go Christmas tree shopping with his family.

Hartbarger's 16-year-old daughter, Briana, was surprised earlier in the day at her school.

Please help make more reunions like this possible.

Support this fine charity that unites service people on leave with their families.

From the site: http://www.lbeh.org/

OF COURSE we're doing it again this year! How could we pass up our EIGHTH opportunity to help our nation's military spend Christmas with their loved ones! That's right, each year we take donations to purchase plane tickets for junior enlisted military personnel, allowing them the opportunity to fly home and spend the holidays with their families. This program was initially started in December 2001 to show our grateful appreciation to American service members deployed in support of Operation Enduring Freedom, and has become an annual tradition ever since.

Last year we raised over $70,000 and helped 135 soldiers, sailors, airmen and Marines go home for Christmas. Our sincere thanks to everyone who donated last year! This year we understand the burden of a strained economy has us all in a pretty tough spot. People are losing their jobs, their houses, and their hope. The economic downturn has many pushed many of us towards financial hard times. But we're hoping to still pull off a few Christmas miracles for our deserving troops. Our donation page is always open, and we will begin taking international ticket requests after November 11th, and domestic ticket requests will start shortly thereafter. Stay tuned for more details!

The world is a very different place from what it was seven years ago when you and I first began this journey. As public opinion for the war in Iraq has molded the phrase, "bring them home," to imply other motives, I want to take a minute and remind everyone of the purpose behind LBEH. We are not for the war in Iraq, nor are we against it. We are not Republican, Democrat, Libertarian, Green or Independent. We are not pro-Obama or pro-McCain. Our motives serve not to change world events, or your perception of them. Our mission is as simple, as it is noble. All we want to do is unite a few military families for the Christmas holiday. That's it. No hidden agendas, no political speeches. We just buy plane tickets for troops. Period.

I know times are hard for all of us but times are harder for those who serve and for their families.

Great thread we need more heart warming stories like this in here.