Local Girls Get Early Christmas Surprise (daddy in a box)

[Midnight Mike]

Two students at North Todd Elementary received a big Christmas present a little early .

And it was an experience they'll never forget.

http://www.wbko.com/news/headlines/12494486.html

Play the video

[cancidas]

is that a Delta patch on his arm?

[LGA777]

Nice feel good Holiday story. Glad he did not come home in another kind of box.

LGA777

[alexg32]

is that a Delta patch on his arm?
It looks like a Special Forces patch. It still doesn't make much sense that he has it though.

[Mellyrose]

Why doesn't it make sense that he has a SF or Delta patch?

[mirrodie]

Thanks for sharing Mike.
Tat was touching.

[PHL Approach]

is that a Delta patch on his arm?
It looks like a Special Forces patch. It still doesn't make much sense that he has it though.

My assumption is that Matt does mean Delta - the Special Forces patch.

[Mellyrose]

Either way, is there a reason it wouldn't make sense that he was Delta or SF?

[moose135]

It's a long way from Iraq, I'm glad they put air holes in that box :shock:

[Matt Molnar]

Attention *****s. Why couldn't they have done this in their house? The report also said he was "recently" deployed to Iraq. What's the big deal if he wasn't gone that long?

[T-Bird76]

Attention *****s. Why couldn't they have done this in their house? The report also said he was "recently" deployed to Iraq. What's the big deal if he wasn't gone that long?

Matt I'm a bit taken back at your reaction and honestly think your choice of words "*****s" is very disrespectful to someone who serves our country. How do we know how long this solider has been in Iraq? We've posted a number of news stories on this site that have been wrong or had misinformation or had some kind of bias to it, now we are to take this at face value? I'm sure his family is happy he was in that box and not another one. I think its great this school did this, it teaches the kids a number of great lessons about family, country, and values.

[Mellyrose]

I actually see where Matt is coming from. Maybe those girls would have rather it been more of an intimate, private moment....no matter how long, or short he'd been away. They cried, and it could have been more emotional. Maybe they didn't want to be seen by their peers in that state.

[T-Bird76]

I actually see where Matt is coming from. Maybe those girls would have rather it been more of an intimate, private moment....no matter how long, or short he'd been away. They cried, and it could have been more emotional. Maybe they didn't want to be seen by their peers in that state.

That's not the point Mel, the point I made was Matt's choice of words, calling a solider a ***** in any context is disrespectful and wrong. I'm sorry no one on this board has the right to call this man who serves our country and puts his life on the line a *****, especially an admin of this site.

[Matt Molnar]

I know I used some harsh words. I respect his service to our country. What upsets me is this stuff panders to the media propagating the idea that coming home outside of a box is rare, and that serving in Iraq = automatic death.

[liagalinnyc]

I think it's more likely the news station thought...

soldier + christmas time + little girls + big ol' box = the sort of story that Neilson Families eat up

"News" that evokes an emmotional response is suspect "News"

If it doesn't bother you when it's a giant teddy bear on the front of the Post under the line 'Terrorist' then you can't be offended when it's fluffy-dad-came-home-isn't-it-cute-and-make-you-want-to-tear-up.

[Mellyrose]

Tommy, "attention *****" is an expression....I know it's not the most PC expression to call someone, especially a soldier, but I think you're being a bit over-sensitive. Also, Matt's Admin status is irrelevant. He's entitled to the same opinions that you are, as long as they follow message board protocol. Phil is very opinionated too and doesn't hold back most of his views unless they break the rules of the site.

[NIKV69]

Mel is right that attention ***** is an expression but what I think Tommy took offense too is that is just doesn't apply here. Chris Hansen and Nancy Grace are attention *****s. They use themselves and their media outlet to gain attention to themselves and get ratings dollars. This soldier and his family I don't think needed any of this attention and did it as a way to get some nice feelings out there. I really don't see how his length of service or anything else matters. I also feel Matt is reaching a bit with his box analogy. I don't know the specifics but from the video it seemed like a gift for the children for Xmas. Nothing more.

[Mellyrose]

I'm not saying that this guy WAS an attention *****, but the expression shouldn't ever be considered calling someone else an ACTUAL *****. I also want to reiterate that Matt's Admin status isn't a reason to be censoring him or his opinions....even if someone feels they are disrespective or wrong.

What I still want to know is why people thought it didn't make sense that he would be Delta or SF!

[alexg32]

What I still want to know is why people thought it didn't make sense that he would be Delta or SF!
Sorry, I haven't been on the site in a few days. I didn't know the Special Forces patch was called Delta, unless I'm still mistaken, and he was referring to the unit. Either way, if he was in Delta Force, he would definitely not have done this stunt. Having his name and picture put on the news could get him killed, not to mention his family. He wouldn't be in SF because his MOS wasn't anything that was related to it.

[Mellyrose]

Delta and SF are different....but I think it's feasible that he would do this if he were only SF. It makes sense why he'd be an idiot to do it if he were Delta.

Did they mention his MOS? I only remember them saying he was going to some form of aviation school, which wouldn't indicate his MOS since soldiers go to specialty schools often, especially when they're SF.

[PhilDernerJr]

I understand that Delta does not have a patch, as it's a unit that they still somewhat deny its existence.

[alexg32]

Delta and SF are different....but I think it's feasible that he would do this if he were only SF. It makes sense why he'd be an idiot to do it if he were Delta.

Did they mention his MOS? I only remember them saying he was going to some form of aviation school, which wouldn't indicate his MOS since soldiers go to specialty schools often, especially when they're SF.
They didn't mention his name in the article, but I checked an army website and he's a 153A, which is a rotary wing aviator.

I understand that Delta does not have a patch, as it's a unit that they still somewhat deny its existence.
Then Wikipedia has failed me again. They showed a patch on the Delta Force article.

[Mellyrose]

They didn't mention his name in the article, but I checked an army website and he's a 153A, which is a rotary wing aviator.


If they didn't mention his name, etc...how did you obtain that info? Even if they did mention his name, how would you find that out?

Also, if he were Special Forces, it wouldn't list his newer specialty anywhere. If 153A is in fact his actual MOS, it might be the one he enlisted with, but when you go through selection for SF, you are reassigned and that would definitely not be published information.

Really, we're beating a dead horse. We don't know anything about the guy, it's wrong to assume and we'll never find out unless we ask him. ;)