I am currently deployed in Iraq with the US Army. I left in August 2007 with an “expected” leave time in April 2008. Once overseas, I switched my leave time to December so I could try to be home around Christmas - only I did not tell my girlfriend Christie. Everyone in my family and her family helped plan the event behind her back. They worked with me picking out an engagement ring and creating the perfect engagement. Christie continued to believe I would be home in April. I got her best friends to paint her nails, I booked a reservation at the local Olive Garden, I invited all of her family and all of my family to be there, and invited the NBC news crew. Once my plane got in, I picked up the ring at the jewelry store, changed into my dress blues uniform and went to Olive Garden to wait for Christie. My sister convinced Christie to go out to dinner with her. When they went to seat her at a table, I was there with a dozen roses. She screamed as the news crew got the entire thing on tv. I dropped down to one knee after our first hug in 4 months and told her “I came all this way to ask you if you’ll marry me”. She said yes! It wasn’t until about 30 seconds later that she realized she was on TV and both of our families and her best friends were there to witness the entire thing. We were interviewed by the news and appeared on the 10pm local NBC news. I returned to Iraq 2 weeks later. Our wedding date is 8.8.09.
- Kevin E., Greenfield, Wisconsin