blpeterson
11-06-2004, 11:43 AM
From Iraq, with love (http://www.mansfieldnewsjournal.com/news/stories/20041106/localnews/1546701.html)
1486th soldier surprises wife with two-week leave
By Lou Whitmire
News Journal
MANSFIELD -- Each day for the past two weeks, Suzi Drushel received a red rose each day from her husband, delivered by Struhldreher Floral Company owner Jack Silcott, who announced, "Delivery for Suzi" at her office door.
On Friday, Suzi got the surprise of her life.
This time the rose-delivery man was wearing fatigues and instead was her husband, Staff Sgt. Jeff Drushel, 42, a member of the 1486th Transportation Company of the Ohio Army National Guard, based in Ashland.
http://www.mansfieldnewsjournal.com/news/stories/20041106/localnews/1546701-724539.jpg
Dave Polcyn/News Journal
Staff Sgt. Jeff Drushel of the 1486th
Transportation Company of the Ohio
Army National Guard, based in
Ashland came home from Iraq on
leave and surprised his wife, Suzi,
at her work.
When he called out, "Flower for Suzi" at Moe's Acoustics, his wife came out of her office and exclaimed, "Oh my God!" She had no idea he was coming home on leave.
Drushel, on leave for two weeks from Iraq, said he wanted to do something special for his wife, whom he has not seen since February when his unit departed for the Middle East.
So he surprised her with himself and handed her the 15th rose, in honor of their 15th wedding anniversary, which he missed while overseas in Iraq and Kuwait.
He said it was a long trip home.
He left Kuwait on Wednesday and took planes, trains and automobiles to get home to his wife. He told no one, other than Debbie Lawson at the Mansfield Holiday Inn and Shelly Shambaugh at the floral shop.
Jeff flew to an undisclosed location in the United States then flew to Cleveland. From there he took a Greyhound bus to get home to Mansfield. Then he grabbed a cab to the Holiday Inn, where he spent the night Thursday.
"It was a long trip to get to you," he told his wife, who buried her face in his embrace.
The Ashland residents, parents of three children, said they have been communicating by telephone. The soldier is scheduled to remain in the Middle East with his unit until next February.
When home, he works for the Ohio Department of Transportation in Ashland County.
He said he's seen many improvements in the lives of the Iraqi people. But he dearly misses life at home.
"I miss home. The guys miss home. It's a totally different atmosphere over there. The surroundings are different," he said. "Home is home. We call the camp, when we come off driving the trucks, the house."
"But this is home," he said, hugging his wife.
Suzi said she would be taking some vacation days to spend time with her husband. They planned to attend a football game for a son at Heidelberg College this weekend. Jeff Drushel said he even planned to get his wife to go for a motorcycle ride with him, despite the chilly weather.
The couple planned to dine out somewhere special together and count their blessings for every minute shared.
1486th soldier surprises wife with two-week leave
By Lou Whitmire
News Journal
MANSFIELD -- Each day for the past two weeks, Suzi Drushel received a red rose each day from her husband, delivered by Struhldreher Floral Company owner Jack Silcott, who announced, "Delivery for Suzi" at her office door.
On Friday, Suzi got the surprise of her life.
This time the rose-delivery man was wearing fatigues and instead was her husband, Staff Sgt. Jeff Drushel, 42, a member of the 1486th Transportation Company of the Ohio Army National Guard, based in Ashland.
http://www.mansfieldnewsjournal.com/news/stories/20041106/localnews/1546701-724539.jpg
Dave Polcyn/News Journal
Staff Sgt. Jeff Drushel of the 1486th
Transportation Company of the Ohio
Army National Guard, based in
Ashland came home from Iraq on
leave and surprised his wife, Suzi,
at her work.
When he called out, "Flower for Suzi" at Moe's Acoustics, his wife came out of her office and exclaimed, "Oh my God!" She had no idea he was coming home on leave.
Drushel, on leave for two weeks from Iraq, said he wanted to do something special for his wife, whom he has not seen since February when his unit departed for the Middle East.
So he surprised her with himself and handed her the 15th rose, in honor of their 15th wedding anniversary, which he missed while overseas in Iraq and Kuwait.
He said it was a long trip home.
He left Kuwait on Wednesday and took planes, trains and automobiles to get home to his wife. He told no one, other than Debbie Lawson at the Mansfield Holiday Inn and Shelly Shambaugh at the floral shop.
Jeff flew to an undisclosed location in the United States then flew to Cleveland. From there he took a Greyhound bus to get home to Mansfield. Then he grabbed a cab to the Holiday Inn, where he spent the night Thursday.
"It was a long trip to get to you," he told his wife, who buried her face in his embrace.
The Ashland residents, parents of three children, said they have been communicating by telephone. The soldier is scheduled to remain in the Middle East with his unit until next February.
When home, he works for the Ohio Department of Transportation in Ashland County.
He said he's seen many improvements in the lives of the Iraqi people. But he dearly misses life at home.
"I miss home. The guys miss home. It's a totally different atmosphere over there. The surroundings are different," he said. "Home is home. We call the camp, when we come off driving the trucks, the house."
"But this is home," he said, hugging his wife.
Suzi said she would be taking some vacation days to spend time with her husband. They planned to attend a football game for a son at Heidelberg College this weekend. Jeff Drushel said he even planned to get his wife to go for a motorcycle ride with him, despite the chilly weather.
The couple planned to dine out somewhere special together and count their blessings for every minute shared.