"WAHOO!" Colonel Reed Bonadonna Back from Iraq
by Judy Silberstein
(May
21, 2003) "WAHOO!!!!!" emailed Dr. Sue Bonadonna
on Tuesday, May 20. She had just received word that husband
Colonel Reed
Bonadonna was back from Iraq and
would
be
returning
to
Larchmont,
"just
in time for anniversary #14 and the Larchmont Memorial Day Parade." (See: Memorial
Day.) "I
was totally shocked," reported Dr. Bonadonna. She knew he was on his way
back from the Middle East and
had
been
monitoring the flight situation. "I had given up hope that
he'd be home
this
week,"
she said.
"Now, he can't wait to see us," she said, "It's been a
long time."  As a military historian,
Colonel Bonadonna has been traveling throughout the Southern
regions of Iraq documenting, interviewing,
and recording the story of the war. This is a dramatic change
of pace from his civilian occupation, teaching
English and Ethics at the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy
in
King's
Point. (See: Larchmont
English Teacher Called to War.)
Early Wednesday morning, the family was rushing to get
ready for school and Bonadonna's afternoon homecoming.
"Daddy's coming home today!" screamed Luke, age
5.
Erik, age 10, has just learned to play the "Star Spangled
Banner" on his trumpet and can't wait to play it for his
Daddy. Both Erik and Devon, age
8, are thrilled that their dad will be home to march
with them and the other cub scouts
from Pack 4 in the Larchmont Memorial Day Parade on Thursday
evening, May 22.
According
to Dr. Bonadonna, it was only a few months ago, when
the scouts started planning for
the
parade
that
one
of the
dads mused, "Maybe Reed will be back for the parade." She thought, "There's no possibility of that."
He'll only be home for a few days before he has to
return to Washington, D.C. to continue his military
duties compiling the information he's been collecting
in Iraq. But the family isn't complaining. "We feel
so lucky," said
Dr. Bonadonna. |
