THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Thursday, December 29, 1994 TAG: 9412290431
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B1 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY LARRY W. BROWN, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: Medium: 73 lines
In most homes, the Christmas trees look lonely now, what with all the gifts having been opened days ago. But for about 65 families who were separated while loved ones served at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, today is the big day.
``We haven't opened anything,'' said Sherrie Grizzard as she waited for her husband, Brock, to gather his belongings just minutes after his plane touched down at Norfolk Naval Air Station on Wednesday night. ``I'm so excited; we've been counting the days.''
The family, she said, decided to delay their holiday celebration until everyone was together again.
``I'm tickled to death,'' said Brock Grizzard, a civilian government employee assigned to Guantanamo. He said coming home was his best Christmas present.
``I missed Thanksgiving. I missed Christmas,'' he said. ``But I'm here for a couple of weeks now.''
The military and civilian personnel were flown to Norfolk from Guantanamo as part of ``Operation: Sleigh Ride.'' The airlift reunited military personnel separated from family and friends when military dependents were forced to leave Cuba in September to make room for Haitian refugees.
Some of those who came to greet loved ones couldn't wait to get them home to open presents. They brought packages to the airfield for them.
Jacob Field clutched a gift wrapped in red and green paper as he waited for his father, Lt. Cmdr. Bob Field, to enter the terminal.
With his father home for the next few days, Jacob Field, 14, said the family finally could celebrate Christmas. ``I'm just glad he's back,'' he said.
``Operation: Sleigh Ride'' began two weeks ago when the military flew hundreds of American troops to bases around the country.
Keith Lebling, a Navy spokesman, said 40 people were flown home during the first leg of ``Sleigh Ride'' last week. That group returned to Guantanamo Bay on Tuesday. Personnel are being rotated, Lebling said. Some came home for Christmas, while others will be able to spend New Year's in the States. Those who arrived in Norfolk on Wednesday will return to Cuba next week, Lebling said.
In a matter of minutes, the terminal changed from a bustling group of eager families to a ghost town. The families had wasted no time before heading for home.
Many of them said this was the first Christmas they spent apart.
``I've missed the kids' noise waking me up in the morning,'' said first class petty officer Shelia Brown. Duty at Guantanamo Bay was her first foreign deployment.
On hand to meet her were her husband, Tony, and their children, Shelisha, 8, and Charles II, 11.
Smiling from ear to ear, Shelia Brown said she and her husband - a Marine Corps sergeant - manage their separations by motivating each other.
``We're both in the military and we're doing our job, so we deal with it,'' her husband said.
Shelia Brown said she has been too excited to calm down. ``I'm going to spend every minute awake,'' she said. ``I'm not going to sleep.''
After three months in Cuba, she said, she hadn't realized how much she missed home until she found out she was going to come back. Anticipation brought memories.
``I miss home cooking. I miss Hampton Roads,'' she said. ``I even miss the dog.'' ILLUSTRATION: Color photo by Joseph John Kotlowski
Sheila Brown, being greeted by Charles, 11, and Shelisha, 8
KEYWORDS: HOMECOMING CUBA
by CNB