Lieutenant Dan Smigielski was thankful for the big hug he got from his two sons when he arrived at St. Patrick's School, where they are students in suburban Wadsworth. His tour of duty has kept him in Afghanistan since last January. Before that he was stationed in Israel.
Friday's reunion gave him a sense of clarity.
"The kids that I saw in the Green Zone in Kabul were, you know, they have a much different life, so coming back here and seeing the freedoms we have and our kids at school, it's worth fighting for," said Lieutenant Smigielski.
The students all took part in welcoming Lieutenant Smigielski home. In between military deployments, the lieutenant is a school teacher at St. Patrick's.
