She was told he was coming home some time in August of last year. She didn’t know the date or time but was given a two week window. I had it on my calendar and as soon as the date was nailed down further, she would give me a call to solidify plans. He had been deployed well over a year and the thought of him coming home was an event she was dreaming about and wanted to document for her children. He missed a WHOLE year of their lives. And then some.
My phone rang very early one Saturday morning. I can’t remember how early, but I remember thinking “wow, its kinda early for someone to be calling”. I answered. I was up… because I also have kids. It was her. He was on a flight and would be arriving at the Phoenix Airport. In TWO hours. It was June, not August like we had planned. She calmly said “we are frantically preparing to rush to the airport…is there anyway you would be able to meet us there? It just so happened that the stars aligned that day and my calendar was clear. I jumped in the shower and prepped my gear. Here is their story:
Phoenix Airport Military Homecoming by Gretchen Wakeman Photography from Gretchen Wakeman on Vimeo.
