Returning Iraq reservist catches daughter unaware

Kelsey Hamilton’s mother and a school administrator turned up at the girl’s fourth-grade class Monday. Someone wanted to see her.

She walked outside to a courtyard at Cochise Elementary School in Scottsdale and froze when she saw the man who was waiting.

She covered her mouth and stared at the broadshouldered soldier in camouflage, who clutched a bouquet of roses and three bouncy helium balloons.

Kelsey burst into tears, ran across the courtyard and into the arms of her father, Russ Hamilton.

She cried and cried and buried her face in his chest as he chuckled.

"Surprise," he finally said. "I missed you. Happy Valentine’s Day."

Hamilton, a U.S. Army reservist, had just returned from a 13-month tour of duty in Iraq. His wife, Kristen, met him at Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport earlier Monday and they drove straight to the school.

Kelsey had no idea.

Her classmates and teachers poured out of nearby classrooms and cheered the long embrace.

"Are you home for good now, please?" Kelsey asked.

"I’m home for good," Hamilton said.

She squealed and cried and they hugged as Kristen captured the scene with a video camera.

After a long while, Hamilton unwrapped his daughter and presented her with a medal he had been awarded just a day earlier. The Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal honors those who have served in military expeditions to combat terrorism.

He pinned it on his 10-yearold daughter’s red blouse. "I want you to have this for helping me do my job and taking care of mommy," he said.

Kelsey teared up again. "It seems unreal," she said.

Hamilton, 43, a Department of Public Safety officer, shipped out in January 2003. The Army chief warrant officer served in Baghdad as an intelligence officer.

He also earned a Bronze Star for heroic or meritorious achievement, though he declined to discuss the specific act or service performed to earn it.

Hamilton returned to Scottsdale on leave for two weeks in May, but otherwise to his daughter he has been a voice on the phone every week or two and a pen pal through the Internet as often as they could manage.

The months away seemed like an eternity, Hamilton said. He thought about his family every day.

Likewise, Kelsey thought about him. "It’s been really hard and I’ve missed him a lot," she said.

Mostly, she missed ordinary things with her dad. "I missed watching ‘The Simpsons’ with him and watching TV and I missed going on runs with him," she said.

Before the war interrupted the family’s routine, runs at their household involved Hamilton jogging and Kelsey keeping pace on a scooter.

Hamilton said he also looked forward to ordinary things.

"You learn to appreciate the simple things, having been through that experience. Dayto-day things," he said.

Like what?

"Like living. Many times I didn’t think I was going to make it out of there and I saw a lot of soldiers that didn’t make it out of there," he said.

To date, at least 1,463 U.S. military men and women haven’t made it, according to a casualty count kept by The Associated Press.

Hamilton and his wife knew about his planned return some time ago, but they chose not to tell their daughter because of the emotional stress involved.

Even his trek to Scottsdale took its toll, Kristen said. Hamilton traveled three weeks from Iraq to Kuwait, Germany, Baltimore, Seattle and Oakland before arriving at Sky Harbor International Airport.

"We kept the secret somehow. I don’t know how we did," said Kristen, 40, a licensed private investigator.

Kelsey wiped away her tears and shouted to every friend in sight, "My dad is home!"

Then she led Hamilton to her class where he was showered in confetti as guest of honor at the kids’ Valentine’s Day party.

He didn’t stay long. He had another equally important stop to make. Hamilton’s son, Rex, who’s not quite 2, was waiting at Kristen’s mother’s house.