Soldier ‘bearly’ makes it home to celebrate Mother’s Day
Posted on Monday, May 12, 2008
URL: http://www.nwanews.com/bcdr/News/61712/
BENTONVILLE — Lisa Pelfrey got a surprise when her three sons gave her monogrammed Vermont Teddy Bears for Mother’s Day.
But the greatest Mother’s Day present was having all her kids home — including her son, Christopher, who was visiting for his first time after a 15-month deployment in Iraq.
Christopher Pelfrey, a Bentonville High School Graduate now living just outside of Fort Stewart, Ga., is visiting his family for Mother’s Day less than two months after returning with the Third Infantry Division of the United States Army in Fort Stewart.
Lisa and Christopher kept hugging one another Sunday afternoon as the family gathered in the living room to set up the new speaker system for a flatscreen television.
Lisa joked that Christopher visited just in time to help hook up the electronics, but expressed pride and relief that he was home safe.
“ Well, they surprised me with these bears, ” Lisa said as she pointed to a mother bear with monogrammed bears to represent all the kids.
“ I made her believe I forgot about Mother’s Day; she bought it ! ” Christopher said, adding that he and his brothers joked that they weren’t getting her any presents for Mother’s Day.
Although he’s unsure if he’ll be deployed again, Christopher seemed to be taking advantage of every minute home.
“ It’s great to have him back, ” said Christopher’s wife, Jamie, who celebrated her fourth anniversary with Christopher right after he returned in April.
Christopher said he and his wife have only spent their first and fourth anniversaries together since they married in 2004.
Meanwhile, Christopher’s also enjoying his brand-new Plymouth convertible, purchased with extra earnings he received for being in Iraq more than a year.
“ It doesn’t make it worth (being in Iraq ), but it’s a nice consolation prize, ” he said.