National Guard soldiers turned a less than Merry Christmas into a joyous occasion for one local soldier’s family.
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Hearing the need for a Christmas miracle, Chief Warrant Officer Elvis Freeman initiated what he called ‘Operation Santa Claus.’
“It all started on Tuesday, Dec. 26, 2006, when the kid’s grandmother called me,” said Freeman.
Her son was serving on a deployment for border security, but had previously worked as a temporary mechanic at the field maintenance shop located at the National Guard Armory in Trenton.
“The grandmother told me that the kid’s mother didn’t get them anything for Christmas and her son was unable to get home,” Freeman said. “She wanted to know if we could put her in contact with someone that could help.”
The opportunity to bless the deployed soldier’s children was more than enough to inspire Freeman and his fellow soldiers. The employees of the maintenance shop and the full-time staff for Detachment 1, 1128th Forward Support Company located in Trenton pulled together and purchased an abundance of gifts for the children.
Family Readiness Group lead volunteer Sharon Bratsberg joined the mission by wrapping all the gifts and contacting Trenton’s Mayor Gary Hall.
“We called the grandmother and had her bring the kids in,” said Freeman.
“It worked out great,” he stated.
With Hall dressed as Santa Claus, the children were presented with a huge box of toys and other gifts.
“Then we took the kids out and let them sit in the hummers,” said Freeman. “You could tell it was the best time the kids have had in a while.”
Cpt. Shannon Holaday, administration officer for the battalion, congratulated the soldiers for a job well done.
“This is definitely above and beyond the call of duty, and it sets the example,” said Holaday.
He also commented that the Missouri Army National Guard acts as a close-knit family, because Soldiers continue to take action when they see a family in need.
Bringing Christmas to that family brought joy to the soldiers. Though the grandmother offered many words of gratitude, the smiles on the children’s faces were the soldiers’ greatest rewards. This story will be retold many times in the future by the appreciative grandmother, the surprised children, and the gracious soldiers.
Freeman hopes to continue serving the community stating, “we should do this more often.”
The following personnel made this event possible, including Chief Warrant Officer Elvis Freeman, Sgt. 1st Class Alan Gard, Sgt. Zane Bratsberg, Spc. Steven McKinney, Sgt. 1st Class Christine Chaney, Staff Sgt. Casey Smith, Sgt. Jesse Wills, Sharon Bratsberg, and Mayor Gary Hall.