Sunday, December 26, 2010

Firefighters, Santa bring Somersworth Marine home for Christmas

Firefighters, Santa bring Somersworth Marine home for Christmas

BY AIMEE LOCKHARDT
alockhardt@fosters.com
Sunday, December 26, 2010
SOMERSWORTH — Four-year-old Anthony Griffin's eyes lit up when he saw the fire engine climb the hill toward his apartment on Winter Street.

Then suddenly a grin stretched across his face when he noticed who was inside. Right in the front was Santa Claus, waving at him.

As Santa stepped from the engine, Anthony rushed over and into his arms, and that's when he noticed the figure who had followed Santa out of the fire engine. The man knelt on the ground, trying to hold back tears, as Anthony then flew into his arms.

This would be the first Christmas he'd spend with his uncle since 2008.

The Somersworth Fire Department, with help from Santa and an elf, made a special trip on Christmas Eve day to deliver 22-year-old Marine Lance Cpl. Matthew Sanborn home after he was away for two and a half years.

"I'm supposed to be the toughest of the tough, and I'm about to cry," Sanborn said about seeing his family again.

A couple of weeks ago, firefighter James Drakopoulos was on duty when he received a phone call from Sanborn asking for help surprising his nephew with his homecoming.

"A lot of the guys (on the fire department) are veterans," Drakopoulos said, adding that he didn't hesitate to assist. "And we usually try to help whoever we can with what they need ... Everyone was willing to do whatever they could. These guys are serving our country."

Sanford spent his first year away from home in training, and then during his second year, he was deployed with the 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit. He spent time in Haiti after the earthquake hit, and then wen to Djibouti, Africa, and Jordan. He returned to the states in August, where he was stationed at Camp Lejeune in North Carolina.

"Not a day goes by when I don't think about them or what they're doing," the lance corporal said.
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Firefighters, Santa bring Somersworth Marine home for Christmas

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