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Reserve families get special Christmas gift this year

By G. Michael Dobbs

Managing Editor



CHICOPEE It was a Christmas surprise.

Despite a confusion with time zones and technological problems two area families were able to see their loved ones serving overseas face-to-face for the holidays.

And the deployed members of the 42nd Aerial Port Squadron did not expect to see their families.

The families of Master Sergeant Daniel Lawlor of Chicopee and Airman First Class Anthony Racco of East Longmeadow were among the five families chosen to see their family members who are serving in Operation Enduring Freedom through a live television connection at Westover Air Reserve Base (WARB) on Thursday.

The two men are reservists assigned to the 42nd Aerial Port Squadron from the 439 Airlift Wing at WARB. Master Sergeant Daniel Witt explained the squadron loads, unloads and processes passengers and cargo. There are 186 members of the squadron and Witt said the members have been deployed 150 percent since 2002 meaning many members have seen active duty more than once.

The current group from the squadron was deployed in early September and is expected to return home in early January.

For security reasons Air Force officials could not say where the reservists were stationed.

Dawn Lawlor said this is her husband's third deployment. He is a computer network specialist for the Department of Engineering at the University of Massachusetts at Amherst.

She said that she receives e-mails, instant messages and several phone calls a week from him. Although the communication helps her during his deployment, she said that raising six children by herself is "not the easiest thing."

She said she is lucky to have a good group of friends who help her getting her children back and forth to games, practices and other commitments.

None of her children knew they were coming to see their father until they got to the base.

"I wanted them to be surprised," she said.

E-mails and cell phone calls are "such a great thing" in reassuring the Racco family about her son Anthony, Carmelina Racco said.

"We hear from him so often," she said. "Just a few minutes every few days. We know he is safe and doing well."

Her son is a car mechanic who requested to have pictures of his classic MG as well as copies of his automotive magazines sent to him.

Tony Racco said that adjusting to his son's deployment "was difficult at first, but you get used to it as much as you can."

Carmelina admitted that her son not being home for the holidays makes the absence more difficult.

Besides the car magazines, Anthony has request snacks and thermal shirts.

"They're feeling more winter there than we are," Carmelina said.

After their video visit, Carmelina said her son looked "wonderful."

"It was very emotional," she added.