Although his life away from the military was in tatters that statement summed up the simple desire felt by PFC Angel T. This fine soldier had been sending the majority of his service pay back to his father and siblings in Puerto Rico ever since Hurricane Irma destroyed the island. His financial support helped his family with water, food and shelter. However, his generosity prevented him from affording a plane fare to be with any family for CHRISTmas. When offered to be flown back home for CHRISTmas his response was quite moving "I cannot go back. The house I grew up in is gone. The street I grew up on is gone. I am afraid if I go back I will not be able to leave my family in those conditions and head back to my base and the comforts here." As the interview continued PFC T. spoke about his young daughter living with her mother in NY. He had not seen her in more than a year. Because of the sacrifice this soldier made for the country and his family, Operation H.O.M.E. offered to send him to Puerto Rico and NY to see his daughter. "If I can see my little girl, that is all I want for CHRISTMAS." That is exactly what he got.
A CHRISTMAS REUNION....COMPLETELY UNEXPECTED!
PFC Hooks spent almost the full 22 years of his life in foster care homes. Operation H.O.M.E. received a recommendation for Hooks to travel to his home state for CHRISTmas. While interviewing PFC Hooks, he expressed the desire to spend CHRISTmas with his best friend's family. "They always treated me like one of theirs. I always felt welcome there." After Hooks returned back to his base he contacted Operation H.O.M.E. to say "Thank You" to all of the sponsors who made it possible to be "HOME". Hooks then unloaded a huge surprise. The surprise was greater for him than for Operation H.O.M.E. While home, after more than 15 years, he received an unexpected visit from his maternal grand-mother and his birth mother. Hooks said "Without Operation H.O.M.E. that would have never happened."
25 individual reunited with family
CHRISTMAS 2017 GREETED OPERATION H.O.M.E WITH ADDITIONAL NEEDS BEYOND OTHER YEARS. SOME SOLDIERS WHO COULD NOT TRAVEL AT CHRISTMAS HAD EXTREME NEEDS THAT OPERATION H.O.M.E. HELPED WITH AFTER THE FIRST OF THE YEAR.
* PFC Melissa M. was assisted back to Los Angeles to visit her terminally ill mother.
* PVT Lynette G. could not schedule for leave at CHRISTmas. She did receive leave to go home in January 2018. The reason she needed to go home was the need to move her daughter, who was living with an ill grandmother, to the base where PVT G. is stationed.
* SPC McJames, age 21, is awaiting word from the courts in her home states so she can take custody of her 2 younger siblings. McJames lost her mother in 2017 and is battling to keep her brother and sister together with her.
