This year, for the first time in 20 years following this fall’s Afghanistan withdrawal, most all Fort Drum families will be able to enjoy the holidays together. Unfortunately, most is still not all.
Jessica Evans and her baby daughter Avery are missing Avery's father, one of the few Fort Drum soldiers still serving overseas, this Christmas. Evans says he left for Iraq last month and is not scheduled to return until sometime this summer.
“It was not at the top of our list of things to be doing this Christmas and this holiday season, but we make it through with lots of videos,” Jessica said.
Videos that have already featured her first Thanksgiving and will feature her first Christmas, until hopefully, a reunion for one of her final calendar firsts.
“Hopefully he is back for her first birthday,” Jessica added.
It’s families like Avery’s for which Fort Drum’s United Service Organization is hoping to make the holidays as bright as possible, hosting a special Christmas party for those with loved ones overseas and those who may not be able to get to their actual homes and extended family this year.
“It means that also you aren’t close to home and family, you are loved and cared for,” Fort Drum spouse Brenda Gaston said.
At the party, families got to spend time with each other, have some good food, listen to some great music and of course, receive a visit from Santa. Santa did not disappoint. He took pictures with the kids, handed out candy canes and even took requests for his big Christmas night visit.
But before he could take the children’s wish lists back to the North Pole, Santa still had one more visitor to see. Baby Avery had another first, her first picture with Santa. The USO helped take some pictures and a video.
“We are definitely sending them to daddy,” Jessica said.
The USO says as long as soldiers are still deployed during the holidays, it plans to not only host parties like this, but support families in anyway possible, keeping the feeling of community and family alive at Fort Drum all year long.