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Girl Opens Birthday Present, Finds Soldier Stepdad Inside
KIRO TV NEWS ^ | 3-19-2008

Posted on 03/19/2008 12:13:49 PM PDT by Cagey

SANFORD, Mich. -- At her seventh birthday party, Amber Birdsall thought the huge gift box wrapped in pink paper likely hid a pair of bicycles.

She was wrong. Inside was something she wanted even more -- her stepfather, a soldier who had been deployed overseas.

"This is way better than bikes," Amber said.

The surprise began a few weeks ago when Amber told her inquiring mother that all she wanted for her birthday was to have her stepfather return home from serving 10 months in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.

Her mother, Trisha Johnson, 34, relayed Amber's wish to her 39-year-old husband the same day that the girl expressed it. Army Spc. Glenn Johnson immediately started on the paperwork, not expecting his request for a leave to be granted because he is scheduled to come home for good in June.

Much to their surprise, his request for more than a week of leave was granted.

The soldier's flight arrived in Flint, Mich., early Sunday afternoon and he was whisked away to Northern Lanes Recreation, a bowling alley in Sanford where his stepdaughter's birthday party was taking place.

Northern Lanes employees were in on the ruse and kept him hidden in the bar.

When Amber and her 9-year-old sister, Kathy Birdsall, opened a colorfully wrapped refrigerator box, Glenn Johnson was inside.

In addition to spending a lot of time at home with his family, Glenn Johnson and his wife planned a late celebration of their five-year wedding anniversary, which was on Valentine's Day.

"I told her she needs to get a baby sitter and a new outfit," he said. "I'll take care of the rest."


TOPICS: News/Current Events; US: Michigan; War on Terror
KEYWORDS: army; happybirthday; military
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To: murdoog
"I was relieved to read past the headline and learn that the stepfather was still alive."

LOL Same here.

41 posted on 03/19/2008 12:57:39 PM PDT by KoRn (CTHULHU '08 - I won't settle for a lesser evil any longer!)
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To: lilylangtree
We need more these types of stories.

There are so many. I'm fortunate to know a lot of them personally.

Like the female Army Major here who has four little girls at home with her husband. She got her leave right at Christmas. She didn't tell her girls...she surprised them on Christmas Eve.

And the Lt. Col. I work with who went home on his leave and surprised his teenage daughter at her track meet. He and his wife had kept it secret that he was coming home.

I could go on and on and I get choked up every time one of them tells me one of these stories.

42 posted on 03/19/2008 1:00:45 PM PDT by Allegra (Posting without being logged on since 2001)
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To: Saoirise; USMC Brat; Drango; Syncro

Ping.:)


43 posted on 03/19/2008 1:00:47 PM PDT by 444Flyer (The decent to hell is easy,and those who begin by worshipping power soon worship evil-C.S.Lewis)
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To: Cagey; Chili Girl; steel_resolve; fieldmarshaldj; Froufrou; gondramB; dandelion; lilycicero; ...

Very nice story, thanks for posting it.

This one from last year still tears me up:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kerMm0HG1mk


44 posted on 03/19/2008 1:02:06 PM PDT by RabidBartender
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To: Allegra

A friend of mine has a great story. The crux of it was that he got to come home a couple weeks early and got to surprise his little girls when they came home from school. He tried to surprise his wife but she noticed he used a credit card the day before he arrived home and realized he was in the States.


45 posted on 03/19/2008 1:05:00 PM PDT by cyclotic (Support Scouting-Raising boys to be men, and politically incorrect at the same time.)
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To: MEGoody

If there were ever a country ripe for nation-building with a virtual army of repatriates, skilled, wealthy and rarin’ to go, Cuba is it.


46 posted on 03/19/2008 1:09:14 PM PDT by Old Professer (The critic writes with rapier pen, dips it twice, and writes again.)
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To: RabidBartender

That did something to me. That little boy understands all too well already what it means to be a man. So sad.


47 posted on 03/19/2008 1:09:32 PM PDT by Froufrou
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To: RabidBartender
This one from last year still tears me up:

Great, now I feel like a fag, because I watched that and I totally teared up. I was far too young to remember my father returning from Vietnam, but I hope I reacted like this little boy did.

Recently I had the great honor of watching my brother return home from Iraq . . . and seeing his wife & daughters run out on the tarmac to join him at his F/A-18 was, as the commercial says, priceless.

Thanks for posting the link to this vid. Go Navy.

48 posted on 03/19/2008 1:10:29 PM PDT by Hemingway's Ghost (Spirit of '75)
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To: RabidBartender

Thanks! I remember that one well, it’s very touching.


49 posted on 03/19/2008 1:10:50 PM PDT by jazusamo (DefendOurMarines.org | DefendOurTroops.org)
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To: brityank

Awwwwwww. How sweet.


50 posted on 03/19/2008 1:15:26 PM PDT by Girlene
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To: gondramB

No, you weren’t...It reminded me of a story (allegedly a true one) I read , possibly on FR, in which a man tried to surprise his GF by “mailing” himself to her on Valentine’s day. Unfortunately, he neglected to secure an air supply...yep, he was dead when she opened the package. :-( I was afraid some young soldier had tried something similar-very relieved to learn otherwise.


51 posted on 03/19/2008 1:16:15 PM PDT by Verloona Ti
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To: All

This story brings me to tears and I love hearing them too, thank you for sharing!

God bless Mr Johnson and his family!


52 posted on 03/19/2008 1:20:56 PM PDT by Poetgal26 (God bless the US Military and our vets!)
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To: cyclotic
That's a great story, too. I love these and I think this sort of thing happens more often than most people realize.

He tried to surprise his wife but she noticed he used a credit card the day before he arrived home and realized he was in the States.

Just can't fool Mom...LOL

53 posted on 03/19/2008 1:25:38 PM PDT by Allegra (Posting without being logged on since 2001)
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To: brityank

What’s this salty discharge coming from my eyes?


54 posted on 03/19/2008 1:46:22 PM PDT by Scarpetta (e pluribus victim)
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To: dandelion

Hot Dang, now there’s a MAN!! OOOh, and a good daddy too... congratulations to this little girl’s mother on finding such a wonderful man for her family. Welcome home, Soldier!

%%%
I second that!!

Nice story.


55 posted on 03/19/2008 1:47:26 PM PDT by Bigg Red (Position Wanted: Expd Rep voter looking for a party that is actually conservative.)
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To: gondramB; murdoog
I’m so glad I wasn’t the only person to think that...

LOL... with so many weird stories we read recently, I must say I was also thinking, "oh no... another one!" Glad this one is not.

56 posted on 03/19/2008 1:48:06 PM PDT by paudio
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To: RabidBartender

Everytime I see that sweet little boy’s face crumble when he sees his dad, I blubber like an idiot. I wouldn’t have it any other way.


57 posted on 03/19/2008 1:49:38 PM PDT by Scarpetta (e pluribus victim)
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To: Hemingway's Ghost

You didn’t tear up, you had a lump in your throat and it got in your eye. Happens to me all the time.


58 posted on 03/19/2008 1:51:46 PM PDT by Little Pig (Is it time for "Cowboys and Muslims" yet?)
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To: Miss Behave

Maybe that should become a FReeper expression.


59 posted on 03/19/2008 1:52:51 PM PDT by definitelynotaliberal
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To: Cagey
What a wonderful story!

The pictures speak a thousand words.

60 posted on 03/19/2008 1:57:11 PM PDT by MotleyGirl70
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