Homebound for hugs.Most Marines are more than excited to come home to an open pair of welcoming arms ... but what happens if they return to a base with no family and friends nearby? That's where the "Official Huggers" come in. Alisa Hertzler, Single Marine Program (SMP (Symmetric MultiProcessing) A multiprocessing architecture in which multiple CPUs, residing in one cabinet, share the same memory. SMP systems provide scalability. As business increases, additional CPUs can be added to absorb the increased transaction volume. ) Coordinator for Marine Corp Air Station Miramar, Calif., organized a group of volunteers to attend homecomings of soldiers and to offer up their hugs. The idea came to her in May 2003 when six Marines were returning from Iraqi Freedom, and only one soldier had family at the hangar to welcome him home. Hertzler felt sad that no one was there for the others, so she took it upon herself to be the lone welcome wagon Noun 1. welcome wagon - a wheeled vehicle carrying information and gifts from local merchants for new residents in an area wheeled vehicle - a vehicle that moves on wheels and usually has a container for transporting things or people; "the oldest known wheeled . After that initial homecoming Homecoming Odyssey concerning Odysseus’s difficulties in getting home after war. [Gk. Myth.: Odyssey] You Can’t Go Home Again revisiting his home town, a writer is disillusioned by what he sees. [Am. Lit. , Hertzler went back to her base, created signs that read "Official Hugger," and since has recruited 20 more who rotate on a regular basis. The group's goal is to give every Marine a hug to thank them for all they've done. They look for lonely Marines who aren't expecting to receive anything, then work their hug magic. "While we aren't substitutes tot their parents or other family members, we are a smiling face in the crowd, and we are out there to lift their spirits, tell them we are proud of them, and help ease their retrain re·train tr. & intr.v. re·trained, re·train·ing, re·trains To train or undergo training again. re·train to the U.S.," says Hertzler. While some might question if the "Official Huggers" falls under the category of recreation, Hertzler has no doubts that it does. She says that recreation is "refreshment of strength and spirit arm" work," which is exactly what her group provides. They sometimes pass out treats or take photos, but most are just there to volunteer their hogging abilities. Because of the "buggers" all the Marines can look forward to open arms. Hertzler says, "The greatest reward is when I put my arms around one of the Marines and they squeeze me so tight. Most of them don't know Don't know (DK, DKed) "Don't know the trade." A Street expression used whenever one party lacks knowledge of a trade or receives conflicting instructions from the other party. who I am, but it's what I represent that lifts their spirits. Seeing me means they are finally home, they had finished the fight, and they were one step closer to being reunited "Reunited" was a #1 hit in the United States in 1979 by the Washington, D.C.-based group Peaches & Herb. Preceded by "Heart of Glass" by Blondie Billboard Hot 100 number one single May 5 1979 Succeeded by "Hot Stuff" by Donna Summer with loved ones loved ones npl → seres mpl queridos loved ones npl → proches mpl et amis chers loved ones love npl ." To find out more about the Official Huggers, call Alisa Hertzler at (858) 577-6283 |
|
||||||||||||||||
Printer friendly
Cite/link
Email
Feedback
Reader Opinion