.Women raise money to fly soldiers home before Iraq service
MONTPELIER, Vt. - Amanda Tyrell didn’t think she’d see her husband again for a year and a half when he left in July for training and then military service in Iraq.
But she’ll get to see him one more time Sunday, when about 74 Vermont National Guard members are expected to arrive home on a flight paid for by money she and other wives raised. “Through everyone’s help they are going to be able to come home,” Tyrell said Saturday as she prepared to pack her two young children into the car and head to Burlington to stay in a hotel so they could meet the early morning arrival.
The members of the 131st Engineering Unit will be on leave from training in Fort McCoy, Wis., until Thursday. They head to Iraq soon. Their spouses got the idea to raise money for transportation after their husbands told them about a group of Arkansas women who drummed up enough money for a similar trip.
In Vermont they held bake sales and coin drops and made pleas via e-mail. Several newspaper ran stories that generated much of the support. “From there people called and donated so much money,” Tyrell said. “And they were so generous. We got money from everywhere, from businesses, little old ladies down the street, lots of American Legions and VFWs and Rotary Clubs.” Even the private jet company that is flying the soldiers home chipped in $20,000. “When we realized they didn’t have enough money ... we recognized the fact that what they were doing was an amazing thing and a special thing and we felt that it was a good idea for us to do something,” said Joy Eller, chief financial officer of Revolution Air of Norwalk, Conn.
Some of the soldiers will be returning to Iraq for a second time. First Lt. Daniel Tyrell, 29, has been away for weeks or up to a month at a time for training but has never been deployed. For that reason, “I felt like my whole house needed to be perfect,” said Amanda Tyrell, noting that her husband wouldn’t care either way. “The kids and I are making cookies.” She said her husband will probably want bacon for breakfast. “The kids have made cards and signs and put pictures all over the house,” she said.
The Tyrells plans to celebrate all of their birthdays which take place over the next several weeks. But the visit will be bittersweet. Amanda Tyrell said her 4-year-old son is scared about what might happen to his father. The family will say goodbye again on Thursday. “As much as this is exciting, him coming home, it leads to him going to Iraq,” she said.
BostonHerald
But she’ll get to see him one more time Sunday, when about 74 Vermont National Guard members are expected to arrive home on a flight paid for by money she and other wives raised. “Through everyone’s help they are going to be able to come home,” Tyrell said Saturday as she prepared to pack her two young children into the car and head to Burlington to stay in a hotel so they could meet the early morning arrival.
The members of the 131st Engineering Unit will be on leave from training in Fort McCoy, Wis., until Thursday. They head to Iraq soon. Their spouses got the idea to raise money for transportation after their husbands told them about a group of Arkansas women who drummed up enough money for a similar trip.
In Vermont they held bake sales and coin drops and made pleas via e-mail. Several newspaper ran stories that generated much of the support. “From there people called and donated so much money,” Tyrell said. “And they were so generous. We got money from everywhere, from businesses, little old ladies down the street, lots of American Legions and VFWs and Rotary Clubs.” Even the private jet company that is flying the soldiers home chipped in $20,000. “When we realized they didn’t have enough money ... we recognized the fact that what they were doing was an amazing thing and a special thing and we felt that it was a good idea for us to do something,” said Joy Eller, chief financial officer of Revolution Air of Norwalk, Conn.
Some of the soldiers will be returning to Iraq for a second time. First Lt. Daniel Tyrell, 29, has been away for weeks or up to a month at a time for training but has never been deployed. For that reason, “I felt like my whole house needed to be perfect,” said Amanda Tyrell, noting that her husband wouldn’t care either way. “The kids and I are making cookies.” She said her husband will probably want bacon for breakfast. “The kids have made cards and signs and put pictures all over the house,” she said.
The Tyrells plans to celebrate all of their birthdays which take place over the next several weeks. But the visit will be bittersweet. Amanda Tyrell said her 4-year-old son is scared about what might happen to his father. The family will say goodbye again on Thursday. “As much as this is exciting, him coming home, it leads to him going to Iraq,” she said.
BostonHerald
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