Naval recruits enjoy a Christmas away from Great Lakes
On a typical Christmas Day, Jenna Owens would be home in Midland, Michigan. She would be in pajamas rather than a uniform, opening presents and eating a lot of food.
But Owens, 23, has been away from home at Recruit Training Command, Great Lakes, where she drills, takes classes and is getting training in handling weapons and firefighting.
She has a bachelor's degree in biomedical science and plans on eventually going to medical school. But this Christmas she is one of more than 30 U.S. Navy recruits enjoying a day of relaxation, fun, food and fellowship at Christian Liberty Academy in Arlington Heights.
The event, in its ninth year, has become a tradition. Residents who live near the academy on Christmas morning have come to expect to see a procession of vans carrying the recruits, along with an escort of motorcycles driven by representatives from the Warriors' Watch Riders and the EMS Roaddocs.
Spectators hoisting American flags line the street in front of the academy's gym entrance, as well as the steps leading to the doors.
The beginnings of this generous event lie in tragedy. Christian Liberty Academy teacher Robert Stack and his wife, Linda, lost their son, Marine Lance Cpl. James Bray Stack, in 2010 in Afghanistan. They remain deeply involved in the Christmas event every year.
"We were just taking it one year at a time, but it seems to have become a tradition for many of us here. Not just us, but the people in the community," Linda Stack said Wednesday.
Stack spent much of the morning moving in a thousand different directions. She made sure everything was in order and served beverages to the recruits and guests. She looks forward to the event.
"I think a lot of us try to look for ways to express our appreciation for our military. This is just another opportunity to express that gratitude for what they are willing to do."
That gratitude was expressed culinarily with a lunch of Italian beef, mostaccioli, mashed potatoes, green beans, salad and an assortment of desserts. Dinner would consist of a chicken wrap, soup and more desserts.
Arlington Heights Mayor Thomas Hayes greeted the recruits as the vans pulled up and emptied them onto the sidewalk.
"It's a tremendous way to start Christmas Day in Arlington Heights," Hayes said, "for our residents who like to come out and welcome these great young men and women who are serving our country and helping provide the freedoms that we enjoy on Christmas Day."
The recruits settled into chairs at the center of the gym to wait for the ceremony to start, and Dee Dreyer of McHenry passed her cellphone to anyone who wished to call home.
"I want them to go ahead and call their folks and say merry Christmas," said Dreyer, the daughter of a Korean War veteran.
One recruit, Trace Huber, 18, from Hughson, California, said he wants to be an aviation mechanic.
"I just really want to help serve my country and make my grandmother proud. She's an immigrant," he said.
He said he has been learning a lot about life and the military during his training. He talked to his mother this morning who asked, "Are you going to church?"
The assembly featured speeches by Robert Stack, Mayor Hayes and Tom VanGundy of the Warriors' Watch Riders.
"Recruits, we count it an honor to have you with us today," Stack said. "You have chosen a path of selfless service to our country, enlisting in the United States Navy at a time of war."
Hayes, a retired U.S. Army Lt. Col. and a West Point graduate, welcomed the recruits.
"I would like for you to consider Arlington Heights your hometown today," he added.