Soldiers from region send home video greetings

Military Holiday Shout Out 1

Video

Military Holiday Shout Out 2

Video

By Jon Moffett

Five Youngstown residents were featured in the spots.

Some local military families received their Christmas presents early this year, thanks to Time Warner Cable.

The cable network released 14 videos featuring soldiers from Northeast Ohio and Western Pennsylvania sending holiday wishes back home to friends and family.

Five Youngstown residents were featured in the 30-second video spots. Master Sgt. Edward Byard represented the Air Force; Maj. Alvin Brown, Capt. Thomas Hardy and Sgt. 1st Class Winston Pegues represented the Army; and Lt. William Gilmore represented the Navy.

The holiday wishes were well-received by family members.

“It was absolutely wonderful,” said Jean Hardy, Thomas Hardy’s mother. “It was really nice.”

Thomas Hardy, 27, is stationed in Heidelburg, Germany, as a member of the 30th medical brigade. He is an automations manager with the unit. He has already completed two tours of duty in Iraq with the 101st Airborne Division.

While in Germany, Thomas Hardy met his soon-to-be wife, Julia, 24. The two celebrated a civil union in Germany this past September, and the couple will have their wedding in Columbus in July, his mother said.

Thomas Hardy’s video features the couple saying, “We’d like to say ‘Hi’ to my family back in Youngstown, my parents and my grandmother, and we wish you a happy holiday. Merry Christmas.”

Jean Hardy said seeing the brief video was moving.

“It was only a couple of seconds, but it was really awesome,” she said. “I’m beyond words.”

Thomas Hardy and Julia will be home for Christmas. Jean Hardy said it will be the first time in a while that her son has visited for Christmas.

Other soldiers, like Brown, won’t be home for Christmas. But their wishes still brought joy.

Brown is featured on the video with his wife and three children. The Brown family lives in Korea, where Alvin is stationed until June.

Brown’s father-in-law, C.J. Hairston, was moved to see a video of his family.

“I’m still feeling good because of the greeting they sent me,” Hairston said. “I can’t wait until they get home so that I can see them and hug them and kiss them.”

Hairston said he hasn’t seen his daughter in about a year and a half.

In the video, Brown said, “We would like to wish C.J. Hairston, of Youngstown, Ohio, a wonderful and blissful holiday season, from all of us. Happy holidays.”

He added that although his daughter and son-in-law won’t be home for the holidays, he’s happy for them.

“My son-in-law is doing what he really wants to do, he enjoys serving his country to the utmost, and I’m proud of him,” he said. “And my daughter is doing what she wants to do by being a wife and a mother. I love them both to death.”

Here is what the other soldiers had to say in their videos.

Byard: “I’d like to say ‘Hi’ to my wife, Kathy, in East Palestine, my parents, Ralph and Dottie, up in Gustavus. Merry Christmas, Happy New Year and God bless you all.”

Gilmore: “I would like to send a very warm and loving holiday greeting to my mom and dad, family and friends in Youngstown, Ohio. I love and miss you all, and I can’t wait to see you. Happy birthday, Mom.”

Pegues: “I would like to send a happy holiday to my father, Winston Pegues, in Youngstown, Ohio, and the rest of the Pegues family. See you soon.”

jmoffett@vindy.com