Reunion Joy

Michelle Malkin brings us the wonderful story of 7-year-old Hunter Braun of Cherry Hill, NJ, who went to school on Wednesday thinking he would be giving a report on his father, an Army Colonel in Baghdad.

As he spoke, the principal, Mary Kline, interrupted:

"Hunter, I know it's awfully hard to do your report at an assembly like this. I thought and thought about somebody who would be the best person to help. Who could that be?" Kline asked.

Neither Hunter nor his 9-year-old sister, Rachel, knew what Kline was talking about. Then:

Suddenly, Lars Braun strode into the multipurpose room in his Army fatigues. Faster than a soldier could snap to attention, Rachel Braun ran across the room and leaped into her father's arms, while Hunter -- still not quite believing his eyes -- sauntered over for a hug.

Hunter helped his dad fold an American flag.

Kline helped arrange the surprise with the kids' mother, Terri Lynn, and Rachel's teacher, Eileen Steidle. They didn't know the timing would work out until shortly before; the Braun's younger children would be surprised later in the day.

Kline had also just received a federal Department of Education Blue Ribbon Award for consistent academic excellence.

It's easy to see why. Check out some of the quotes from the story:

"As our country has honored us, we want to honor our country," Kline told her students.

"I worry about my dad every second of every day. But I'm proud to have a dad in the Army," Rachel said.

Added Hunter, "For my report, I asked my dad if he likes being a soldier. He said he likes it because he gets to help people. He's very proud and that's one of the main things he joined the Army for."

"Home is where the Army sends us. We'll roll with whatever comes," Terri Lynn said.

If only our nation's political leaders had the kind of pride and perspective as these people! When asked by one of the students why Braun was still serving in Iraq (he was a career soldier), Braun's immediate answer was:

"We have to make it safe for everybody and make life be normal again. That's what the people there want, too."

These are the unselfish people that protect the rest of us, and it's good to see that at least one school somewhere (I'm sure there are others, too) honors them and supports them. Without families like the Brauns, America would be a much lesser place.

There's my two cents.