A Fort Hood soldier shared a life
lesson with the Georgetown community
this Veterans Day. He wanted to show why
it is so important to honor our soldiers
everyday and he did it in his own unique
way.
Lt. Colonel Kurt Wadzinski just got
back from Iraq Monday night. It was his
fourth time to leave his family to go
off and fight. Instead of just walking
in the door, he decided to make this
homecoming a little more special and a
lot more meaningful.
For some Georgetown elementary and
middle school students Thursday brought
ordinary Veteran's Day assemblies with
the pledge of allegiance, band music,
and a song that honors our soldiers.
However, for one student, her five other
brothers and sisters, and for an entire
community, the gathering was anything
but. Within minutes of the opening
presentations they all got to see Lt.
Colonel Kurt Wadzinski for the first
time in more than a year. He deployed to
Iraq last October.
Jamie Wadzinski says she was just really
surprised that her dad is home just
really really happy.
Ben Wadzinski says when his dad was away
he could not play tickle monster or Boy
Scouts, and make toys with his dad.
Kurt Wadzinski says seeing his children
after being away for long periods always
gives him the butterflies in the stomach
and it always comes down to the family
and getting the hugs and the loves.
For this homecoming Wadzinski didn't
want it to end there. He wanted to make
a statement with his family's emotional
reunion this Veterans Day; a statement
students and their family members will
remember always.
"It hits home how important it is for
people to see this type of stuff and
understand the sacrifice," Wadzinski
said.
His wife Shannon agrees. "The sacrifice
that these parents go through, these
children go through, and their feelings
and how these kids have to hold it
together," she said.
Just when Wadzinski and his family
thought their job was done, and it was
time for the family to go home and play
that favorite game of tickle monster.
The crowd at one assembly spontaneously
decided to give the family a message of
it's own -- a standing ovation.
Wadzinski was moved, and says without
that acknowledgment and that recognition
it makes it tougher to be over there.
Wadzinski is an information operations
planning solider at Fort Hood. He says
this type of big reunion also helps his
family transition back into normalcy.
They plan to take the next few days to
get reacquainted, and of course, play a
lot of tickle monster.