'Ft. Hood Hug Lady' Gives Love to the Troops

WOAI ^ | 3/30/10 | Jim Forsyth

[laotzu]

A 78 year old financial planner in Killeen has a second job in which she receives...and gives...a lot of love.

Laird, who stands 4' 11" tall, is on hand when every deployment of soldiers leaves Ft. Hood to Iraq or Afghanistan, and is there when every plane load of soldiers returns.

She hugs every one of them, sometimes having to stand on her tip-toes to do it.

"I'm out there because I love our soldiers and I want to support them," she told 1200 WOAI news. "This is how I can make sure they know somebody supports them."

Laird, who is the widow of a U.S. Marine and was in the Air Force herself, says her goal is to bring smiles to the faces of the men and women who are about to go into harm's way because of their love for their country.

She says she has no idea how many she has sent off since she began the hugging back in 2003.

"Whether its one or a million, it doesn't matter to me," she told Bud. "I wish everybody in America could see what I have seen."

She says with multiple deployments out of Ft. Hood becoming the norm, now the soldiers start looking for her at Robert Grey Army Airfield or at airports in Killeen, Dallas, or Austin, wherever Ft. Hood soldiers leave or return from war.

"When they come home, they're looking for me, and they're glad I'm there to welcome them home."

Laird says she loves her unofficial role at the Ft. Hood Hug Lady, and she has no plans to retire.

[laotzu]

How cool is this fine lady? Prayers of thanks.

[CSM]

God bless our finest men and women and god bless this wonderful lady.

[Leofl]

I know Ms Laird and she’s the crotchety but lovable lady from the neighborhood we all grew up with. She’s the lady who would yell at the kids to be careful around her flowers but would invite them over for cookies and she’s the lady with the bandaids for skinned knees and the bowl of candy at halloween.

God Bless her!

[Soothesayer]

That is so sweet of her.

[cavador]

Sometimes, all it takes is a simple gesture to provide inspiration to the men and women who serve this country.
Elizabeth Laird, a 77-year-old Salvation Army volunteer from Copperas Cove, Texas, has taken on a special mission: giving out a hug to deploying soldiers as they leave Fort Hood.
Laird has been saying farewell to soldiers since 2003 and has provided so many warm wishes that troops have nicknamed her the "hug lady."
Part of her promise to those who leave for combat is that she will be waiting to welcome them back upon their return. She also reads a letter to the soldiers and gives them a card containing Psalm 91—the Soldier's Psalm, according to the Killeen Daily Herald.
laotzu =Why did you only give her last name? God bless this sweet little old lady-she is boosting morale!

[brushcop]

It’s folks like her and the volunteer greeters that continue to show up at Dallas/Ft. Worth (DFW) airport that make this country proud. My son has passed through the cordon at DFW several times, he said it will bring you to tears—and it did.

[thecodont]

Awwww. That’s great.

[trisham]

How sweet!

[CrazyIvan]

I hereby nominate for sainthood. Seconds?

[VOA]

I think I heard a call for volunteers for this DFW airport detail on
radio station 820 AM WBAP our of Dallas within the last couple of days.

I’d step forward, but the commute from Mid-Missouri is just a bit
too much!

But for all the volunteers like this lady...SALUTE!

[VOA]

“
God bless this sweet little old lady-she is boosting morale!
“

(just my quirky way of looking at this...)
I guess I look at this in the “No Time For Sargeants” way.
I don’t see an old lady...but a real patriot given affirmation to
the volunteer patriots return from the toughest job they’ll ever do.

[nicko]

...I think it’s great that someone is there for the troopers- redeployment can be a very lonely time...having said that, when I returned from Mogadishu I didn’t want anyone near me, let alone try and touch me- we landed at Campbell Army Airfield Christmas Day- I apparently walked right by my family-

[John-Irish]

“They also serve they who stand and wait’’. And hug. :-)

[John-Irish]

I second. So noted. The “Hug Lady’’ is now a Freeper saint.

[zeugma]

My son has passed through the cordon at DFW several times, he said it will bring you to tears—and it did.

I hope he was there one of the times my wife and I handed out  hundreds of pounds of coffee donated by the citizens of Trophy Club.

[chichipow]

That is so great.

I actually watched a PBS show about this type of thing. Seniors and what they do for the incoming and outgoing troops.

It was inspirational to say the least.

Thanks, great story.

[brushcop]

when I returned from Mogadishu I didn’t want anyone near me, let alone try and touch me...

Your feelings are not the exception. I told my son to always remember that this sort of thing is from the heart and these are the "winter soldiers", no quitters, so regardless, be kind, considerate and grateful. He is.

I hope he was there one of the times my wife and I handed out hundreds of pounds of coffee donated by the citizens of Trophy Club.

YES! He spoke of coffee being given out on one of his returns, he always remembers those returns (and departures) with a grateful heart. And I thank you from the bottom of my heart for all of you involved in that, going on for YEARS now...

[gimme1ibertee]

wow....very sweet story. What a doll!

[concretebob]

The USOGirls work out of DFW.
Jamie and Carolyn talk about this lady all the time.

[zeugma]

YES! He spoke of coffee being given out on one of his returns, he always remembers those returns (and departures) with a grateful heart. And I thank you from the bottom of my heart for all of you involved in that, going on for YEARS now...

Excellent! We had the customers who donated the coffee write their own message on each pound. I enjoyed the heck out of handing it out, though it was somewhat hectic. What I find to be really impressive are the people who are there just about every day. I also ride with the Patriot Guard when I can. It's the least I can do, to stand for those who stood for us.