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June 21, 2009
Fathers Day is Special for Deployed Grandfather and Grandson
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Staff Sgt. Paul Weekley, Pensacola, Fla., radio operator, B Company, 146th Expeditionary Signal Battalion, Forward Operating Base Delta and his grandson, Spc. Cory Lincourt, Boston, Mass., avenger crew member, E Battery, 3rd Battalion, 4th Air Defense Artillery, 108th Brigade, Camp Liberty, look down at the coins they recieved together after meeting a brigadier general in the Al Faw Palace, June 13
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Deployed Grandfather, Grandson Celebrate Father's Day
by Pvt. Karin Leach
CAMP LIBERTY
When Spc. Cory Lincourt prepared for his deployment he never imagined his grandfather, Staff Sgt. Paul Weekley, would also be deploying to Iraq.
"I was pretty shocked when I got the call from my grandmother saying, 'Oh, your grandfather is going to Iraq,'" Lincourt, Boston, Mass., avenger crew member, E Battery, 3rd Battalion, 4th Air Defense Artillery, 108th Brigade, Camp Liberty said.
The duo hoped to see one another while in Iraq, but being deployed to different locations made it difficult to coordinate.
"I was able to come to Camp Victory on a mission we had and my plan was to just find him," Weekley, Pensacola, Fla., radio operator, B Company, 146th Expeditionary Signal Battalion, Forward Operating Base Delta said. "I spent a whole day just walking all over Liberty trying to find him."
After a series of phone calls Weekley was able to make contact with Lincourt and set up a time to see one another. The two embraced with a hug after a year and a half apart and started right in with past memories and inside jokes.
"I didn't expect to be able to celebrate Father's Day with my grandfather," Lincourt said. "It's definitely cool to be able to see him in Iraq."
The two won't be spending Father's Day together but, were happy to celebrate it a little early.
"I'm very proud of my grandson, and I couldn't ask for anything better to celebrate Father's Day," Weekley said.
Weekley's eyes were wide with awe as his grandson showed him around Al Faw Palace on Camp Victory. They stopped often to take pictures together on balconies, beneath chandeliers and in front of a flag in the rotunda. After touring Palace the two headed to back to Camp Liberty so Lincourt could introduce his grandfather to his unit.
"Growing up I heard all these stories from my great-grandmother about my family's military history," Lincourt said.
Lincourt and Weekley are the most recent soldiers in their family's history of military service dating back to the Spanish American War. Growing up Lincourt's hero was his uncle, a prisoner of war during World War II.
"Not too many grandchildren get to say, 'my grandfather served in Vietnam and now we are serving in the same war together,'" Lincourt said.
Wild Thing's comment........
GREAT story, I love this. I am so glad they got to see each other and spend time together.
Posted by Wild Thing at June 21, 2009 07:47 AM
Comments
Yeah this is pretty neat.
Posted by: Mark at June 21, 2009 12:05 PM
It seems like families are involved in the military. Sons and daughters of veterans are serving. Conversely, I know families who haven't had anyone in uniform since WWII. I think we are producing a warrior class.
Posted by: TomR at June 21, 2009 12:15 PM
They are both living by example, two cut out of the same cloth with a generation between seemingly skipped, not so, it's obvious that Staff Sgt. Paul Weekley has a patriotic daughter, the mother of Spc. Cory Lincourt, with all three replenishing that tree of liberty. This, in a land where some generations going all the way back to the Mayflower haven't ponied up a single soul to serve. Awesome!!!
Posted by: Jack at June 21, 2009 02:27 PM
Mark, I never got to meet my Grandparents.
I agree, this is such a neat story.
Posted by: Wild Thing at June 22, 2009 12:01 AM
Tom, I have noticed that too, your right.
Love how you said that " warrior class."
Posted by: Wild Thing at June 22, 2009 12:03 AM
Jack, that was great, thank you.
Posted by: Wild Thing at June 22, 2009 12:05 AM
