FORT LEE, Va. -- Two military daughters were surprised Jan. 5 at Cosby High School in Midlothian, Virginia, by their mother’s early return from a yearlong deployment to Iraq.
The reunion was organized for Caroline Prekker, a sophomore at CHS, and Lindsay Prekker, a junior at Old Dominion University.
Army Col. Beth Prekker was due to return from her deployment in late January. She and her husband Rick Prekker, a retired soldier, wanted to give their children a day to remember.
Anne Canipe, a history teacher at the school, helped the Prekkers to develop a ruse – Col. Prekker would take part via video conference in a discussion about veterans and the students’ future plans, and Lindsay was invited to talk to the students about college and the application process. Canipe invited the local media to share the “good things that are happening in Chesterfield.”
During the lesson, Canipe tried to skype Prekker, but the class thought there was a technical issue when she did not pick up the call, but Prekker was waiting in the back of the room to surprise her daughters.
‘So Much Adrenaline’
When she came out, her daughters leaped from their chairs and ran to her.
“I have so much adrenaline going right now; I am shaking,” Prekker said. “It is so good to be home, to be able to be with them, to have somebody to do things with. I missed them a lot.”
The daughters had no idea they were going to be surprised.
“I kind of thought it might be happening,” Caroline said. “I didn’t want to get my hopes up though.”
Lindsay had not seen her mom since last winter break.
“When I stood behind the column, it was so hard not to start crying,” Prekker said. “I was just so excited, and thinking let’s just get this over with, I want to see them.”
It was hard to keep it quiet, Rick said.
“The girls have gone through five deployments and every time it is a new experience,” he said. “A surprise reunion is a great welcome and always fun.”
The girls have found the toughest part of the deployments is not having their mom around.
“It has gotten easier the past couple of years to stay in touch because of technology,” Lindsay said. “In the earlier years, we would be lucky to get a phone call, but now we can video chat, email and make phone calls.”
After leave, Prekker plans to head back to Fort Riley, Kansas, where she is stationed, but she hopes to have orders cut for Fort Lee soon.
The Prekkers agreed it is hard being apart, but the time they are together is quality time.
Col. Beth Prekker surprises her daughters, Lindsay and Caroline at Cosby High School, Midlothian, Va., Jan. 5, 2017, after being deployed in Iraq for one year. Army photo by Lesley Atkinson