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Surprise Wedding Gift From Iraq (wedding toast from Iraq, complete with explosion)
WNEP TV ^ | 10/18/2003 | Julie Sidoni

Posted on 10/19/2003 3:47:17 AM PDT by Born Conservative

Saturday, October 18, 11:40pm
Surprise Wedding Gift From Iraq

It was a special night for the new Mr. and Mrs.William Michael Smith. They were married in Dunmore Saturday night. But what made the night really special, was the surprise wedding gift from Baghdad.

The place had all the usual wedding suspects: music, food, friends and family dressed in their best. But there was something not there. The groom's brother Jim Smith says, "There's a a big piece of us missing tonight, and that big piece is our brother Ed."

Master Sergeant Edward Smith from Montdale is an explosives expert with the U.S. Air Force. He's been stationed just south of Baghdad since July. But Saturday night, at the wedding celebration of his brother William, Sgt. Smith made a surprise visit.

It was a surprise, months in the making. Sgt. Smith made a video toast. And Air Force officials had to carry the video from the groom's brother to Baghdad, and then Fox News transmitted it to WNEP.

In the video, Bill Smith says from the desert, "Everybody raise your glasses, and I'll raise my cigar and my non-alcoholic Gatorade...A life of years free of tears, good luck, bottoms up, and fire in the hole." With that, a staged explosive went off in the background.

The groom was visibly touched. William tells Newswatch 16, "I wish he was here...and I can't explain how good it felt to see him the day I got married."

The new Mrs. Smith planned it all; even Bill's parents didn't know. Bride, Kerry Smith admits, "Actually, yesterday I thought everybody knew, and I was a nervous wreck! But nobody found out, so I was very happy."

The mother of the brothers, Kathryn Smith, remarked, "Any makeup I had on, I ruined it! I was so surprised, I couldn't believe it." Their father Donald Smith told us,"He (Ed) has a habit of pulling surprises and popping in at a party when he's not expected. I just had a feeling we might see him today."

The family will see Master Sergeant Smith, in person, next month. We're told that's when his tour of duty is over.


TOPICS: Foreign Affairs; News/Current Events; US: Pennsylvania
KEYWORDS: airforce; explosives; goodnews; iraq; militaryfamilies; weddingbells
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They showed the video on the news this morning; Sgt. Smith said his toast and without missing a beat, said "fire in the hole" in a calm manner (as only an explosives expert could). As soon as he said that, a huge fireball erupted in the background-AWESOME!

Although he had to miss the wedding, if anything was "the next best thing to being there", this was it. I got goosebumps watching it!

1 posted on 10/19/2003 3:47:17 AM PDT by Born Conservative
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To: EODGUY
ping
2 posted on 10/19/2003 6:45:21 AM PDT by notpoliticallycorewrecked
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To: notpoliticallycorewrecked
Great article....thanks for the ping.

EODGUY
3 posted on 10/19/2003 11:49:54 AM PDT by EODGUY (It's going to be in the mid 60's in Wisconsin this weekend....the cycle will be on the road!)
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To: Ragtime Cowgirl
ping
4 posted on 10/19/2003 5:52:30 PM PDT by Born Conservative ("Forgive your enemies, but never forget their names" - John F. Kennedy)
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To: Born Conservative; MJY1288; Calpernia; Grampa Dave; anniegetyourgun; Ernest_at_the_Beach; ...
Thanks for the post, BC.

It was a special night for the new Mr. and Mrs.William Michael Smith. They were married in Dunmore Saturday night. But what made the night really special, was the surprise wedding gift from Baghdad...

Hero shortening his poor mother's life, ping! (^;

 Thanks, Tonkin!

If you want on or off my Pro-Coalition ping list, please Freepmail me. Warning: it is a high volume ping list on good days. (Most days are good days).

5 posted on 10/19/2003 7:59:13 PM PDT by Ragtime Cowgirl ( I am very optimistic that the fruits of our labor will pay huge dividends in the future.~ Gen Myers)
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To: Ragtime Cowgirl
Great story!
6 posted on 10/19/2003 8:02:17 PM PDT by EternalVigilance
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To: Born Conservative
We're told that's when his tour of duty is over.

Thank you Master Sergeant for your service to your country.

Prairie

7 posted on 10/19/2003 8:17:46 PM PDT by prairiebreeze (Brought to you by The American Democratic Party, also known as Al Qaeda, Western Division.)
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To: Ragtime Cowgirl
Bump!
8 posted on 10/19/2003 8:26:32 PM PDT by Alamo-Girl
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To: Born Conservative
See why EOD men, any branch, are the best? !!!
Charles County Crab bttt!
9 posted on 10/19/2003 9:09:45 PM PDT by gatorbait (Yesterday, today and tomorrow.....The United States Army)
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To: Born Conservative; Ragtime Cowgirl
This is soooooo sweet!! I'm glad they could pull it off. I got goosebumps reading this.

Gotta say, I loooove Master Sergeant Smith's sense of humor. My kinda guy!! LOL!

Thanks for posting this Born Conservative.
And thanks so much for the ping, RC.
10 posted on 10/19/2003 9:15:08 PM PDT by radu (May God watch over our troops and keep them safe)
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To: Born Conservative; snippy_about_it; U S Army EOD
Great post. Thanks
11 posted on 10/19/2003 9:25:07 PM PDT by SAMWolf (Poverty begins at home.)
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To: SAMWolf; Born Conservative
Thanks for the ping SAM. What a sweet surprise for his brother's wedding. Good post.
12 posted on 10/20/2003 2:45:22 AM PDT by snippy_about_it (Fall in --> The FReeper Foxhole. America's History. America's Soul.)
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To: Ragtime Cowgirl
Bump!
13 posted on 10/20/2003 5:06:07 AM PDT by windchime
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To: Born Conservative
"fire in the hole"

I found this phrase useful on my wedding night as well.

14 posted on 10/20/2003 5:10:16 AM PDT by avg_freeper (Gunga galunga. Gunga, gunga galunga)
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To: gatorbait
You have a great judge of character.
15 posted on 10/20/2003 6:09:30 AM PDT by U S Army EOD (Nuke the gay,black, feminist, whales for Jesus)
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To: avg_freeper
We also have a Render Safe Procedure called "Drill and Inject", this would also be appropriate.
16 posted on 10/20/2003 6:11:24 AM PDT by U S Army EOD (Nuke the gay,black, feminist, whales for Jesus)
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To: Ragtime Cowgirl
Perfect story and a prop to FoxNews!
17 posted on 10/20/2003 8:37:40 AM PDT by blackie
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To: U S Army EOD
Posted by U S Army EOD to gatorbait
On News/Activism 10/20/2003 8:09 AM CDT #15 of 17

You have a great judge of character.
One old EOD guy to another :- )
18 posted on 10/20/2003 10:01:18 AM PDT by gatorbait (Yesterday, today and tomorrow.....The United States Army)
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To: gatorbait
If you were EOD then you should know better.
19 posted on 10/20/2003 12:14:46 PM PDT by U S Army EOD (Nuke the gay,black, feminist, whales for Jesus)
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To: U S Army EOD
If you were EOD then you should know better.


I know much better,.. I liked what this young man did , and , back to it, fire in the hole 3 times.
20 posted on 10/20/2003 12:18:28 PM PDT by gatorbait (Yesterday, today and tomorrow.....The United States Army)
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