Our Gulf War Baby is Graduating!

My labor was fast and furious with my son, Joseph. My mom, my sister Pam and I arrived at the hospital at 7:10 PM and Joseph was born at 7:34. As they lay my sweet baby in my arms, I began to cry with joy and in fear. My husband Pete was serving in the 1^st Gulf War and the "100 Hour War" was underway. We still hadn’t heard from Pete which meant he was still in danger. I was transferred to my room and fell asleep. The door opened and in the light from the hallway, I saw my husband in his uniform. He came into the room, sat on my bed and kissed me. I knew I was dreaming but as I started to wake up, I realized I wasn’t dreaming!

Earlier that morning, his commanding officer came up to his sleeping bag and gave it a kick. "Heelan, get up. You’re heading home. Hey, maybe you’ll make it for that baby!" He threw his gear into his jeep and headed to the makeshift airport. He boarded a plane to Germany where the soldiers would switch planes to go to Fort Stewart, GA. Someone on the plane mentioned to the head stewardess that Pete was trying to make it to Boston for the birth of his child and she offered to allow him to stay on the plane that was headed to Rome and then onto New York. The plane emptied and the only ones left on it were the pilots, the stewardesses and Pete. They fed him Italian pasta and even introduced him to the pilot who allowed him to sit in the cockpit.

Meanwhile, my family knew Peter was on his way home. Carlos, my brother-in-law (and CEO of Legacy) was serving at Goodfellow Airforce Base in San Angelo, TX. Carlos hated to have Pete land at Fort Stewart with no one to meet him. He flew to Savannah, bought two tickets from Savannah to Boston and drove two hours to Fort Stewart to bring Pete home. As soldiers came filing off of the plane, he waited with all of the other family members for Pete to de-plane. After the last soldier filed off the plane, he realized Peter was not on the plane. (He was on his way to New York!)

Pete’s plane pulled into JFK and two stewardesses ran with him off the plane to meet the plane to Boston. The pilot had called ahead and asked them to hold the plane so that he could get to Boston before the baby was born. Each stewardess took a hand, and they literally ran him through the airport – through security – "He’s with us!" onto the plane to Boston. When he ran onto the plane, he got a standing ovation. Apparently, the pilot had announced to the plane full of passengers that a young soldier was trying to get home for the birth of his baby.

When he arrived at Leominster Hospital, the nurses and doctors met him at the door complete with banners, balloons and news reporters. They cheered and led him to labor and delivery. (It was all on the national news the next day.) Peter missed the baby’s birth by about four hours. But it didn’t matter. He had a brand new baby boy and we had our life back. Little Joseph, oblivious to the chaos surrounding his birth, slept in his father’s arms.

It’s hard to believe that 18 years have gone by. Every year we celebrate Joseph’s birthday, we also celebrate Peter’s safe return from the Gulf. Joseph is graduating from high school this week and together we were thinking how different his life would have been without his Dad in his life. His Senior Project included a presentation about the 1^st Gulf War but was mostly about the bravery of his Dad and how much he has meant to his life. Joe wrote, "It’s inconceivable to think about my life without my Dad. He’s been my coach, my mentor and my best friend." I can’t think of a better Father’s Day gift. And Joseph, we are so very proud of you. Go and be brave, take chances and celebrate life as an adventure. We love you with all our hearts.