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Santa Grants Little Boy's Wish To Bring His Deployed Daddy Home
by U.S. Army Daniel Nelson, Fort Wainwright Public Affairs
December 24, 2019
When Santa Claus asks children what they want for Christmas, many
ramble off a list of toys or games they hope to find under the tree
Christmas morning. Children of deployed service members, however,
might ask Santa to bring their parent home for Christmas.
That was the case for 2 1/2 year old Remington Grace when he told
Santa that he wanted his dad, Capt. Jeff Grace, home for Christmas.
Capt. Grace was one of the many Soldiers of 1st Stryker Brigade
Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division, who departed from Fort
Wainwright, Alaska, earlier this year on a nine-month deployment in
support of Operation Inherent Resolve.
Remington’s mother,
Sara Grace, expected that her husband would be deployed the full
nine months, with a slight chance of returning in the early months
of 2020. Her son’s request to Santa was just one Christmas wish that
couldn’t come true.
Capt. Grace had other plans though when
he learned that he would be home in time for Christmas. Remembering
Remington’s reaction last year to the Fort Wainwright Fire
Department’s Santa Rides, he reached out to the fire department
through social media and asked their help.
Chief Charles
Gibbs said that department members were excited to help with the
surprise return.
With a plan in place, and Capt. Grace home
from his deployment, the Fire Department set out on the morning of
December 18, 2019 to give Remington his gift.
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December 18, 2019 - Engines from the Fort Wainwright Fire Department pull up to the house of Capt. Jeff Grace to help him surprise his family by returning home from an overseas deployment. Capt. Grace’s son, Remington, told a Fort Wainwright firefighter dressed as Santa Claus that he wanted his dad home for Christmas, which queued Capt. Grace to enter the family’s home to surprise everyone. (U.S.
Army photo by Daniel Nelson, Fort Wainwright Public Affairs)
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Three fire engines pulled up to the Grace’s home the morning of
December 18, 2019 with lights flashing as they played out the plan
to respond to a notional alarm call. Once the crew verified that the
house was clear they brought in Santa Claus to meet with Remington
and give presents to him and his 4 month old sister Hailey.
That’s when Santa asked again what Remington wanted most of all
for Christmas this year and the boy asked for his daddy to be home.
With a queue from the fire crew, Capt. Grace entered the
family’s living room and surprised everyone with his early return
home.
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December 18, 2019 - Capt. Jeff Grace, hugs his wife, Sara, and son, Remington, after surprising them by returning home early from his overseas deployment with the help of Santa Claus and the Fort Wainwright Fire Department. Grace deployed earlier this year with the 1st Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division, in support of Operation Inherent Resolve. (U.S.
Army photo by Daniel Nelson, Fort Wainwright Public Affairs)
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Santa Claus, with help from the Fort Wainwright Fire Department,
was able to fulfill a gift request greater than any amount of toys
or games a 2 1/2 year old could have asked for ... he brought his dad
home for Christmas.
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