Photo By Cpl. Gabriel Velasquez | Two students from Abbey Reinke Elementary School hold up a welcome home sign for...... read more read more
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TEMECULA, Calif. - After seven months at sea, “Wolfie” was returned to the students at Abbey Reinke Elementary School during a welcome home ceremony Jan. 7 in Temecula, Calif.
The stuffed wolf is the mascot of the school, and was given to the Marines and sailors of the 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit before beginning their deployment in May of last year.
“Wolfie has been all over the place,” said Col. Roy A. Osborn, commanding officer, 15th MEU. “He’s been to Guam, Australia, Dubai and Thailand just to name a few,” he added.
Wolfie was tracked by the kids of Abbey Reinke with a bulletin board at the school. The board consisted of photos that were sent to the kids. The students could see what “Wolfie” was doing and all the places he had been.
“When Wolfie was deployed the kids kept track of him through the board,” explained Christine Boyd, principal of Abbey Reinke. “It really helped the kids stay connected with the world and give them a view of life during a deployment,” she added.
Wolfie finally returned to his classmates during the school’s weekly ceremony where the school recognizes their students for their accomplishments. Wolfie was handed to the student body president, and the flag that was flown on the amphibious assault ship USS Peleliu throughout the deployment was raised on the school’s flag pole.
“The whole program really helped the students with military family members stay connected to their loved ones,” explained Boyd. “Sometimes a child with a family member deployed can feel alone, but I think the program really helped a lot of them feel like they weren’t,” she added.
Wolfie will get a long awaited break back in his home, but he shouldn’t get too comfortable. The Marines, sailors, and students have big plans for him.
“We would love Wolfie to go on another deployment,” said Boyd. “The kids would love to see what else Wolfie can do while on deployment,” she added.
“I hope he goes on the next float,” said Osborn. “These kinds of programs are important for helping the community relate to the Marine Corps, especially the younger generation,” he added.
| Date Taken: | 01.07.2011 |
| Date Posted: | 01.14.2011 13:04 |
| Story ID: | 63560 |
| Location: | TEMECULA, CALIFORNIA, US |
| Web Views: | 82 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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