# Dads home from Afghanistan to celebrate Father’s Day



## 57Chevy (20 Jun 2010)

Happy Fathers day  
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Dads home from Afghanistan to celebrate Father’s Day:

EDMONTON — Pte. Mark Moloney is thrilled to finally spend Father’s Day with his four-year-old son, Aidan.

It’s only the second time the Edmonton-based military dad has been able to spend the special occasion with his little boy.

“I spent one with him when he was first born,” said Moloney, 25, as he watched Aidan playing in a petting zoo at a party on Saturday.

Hundreds of people were at the family party Saturday afternoon at the Canadian Forces Base Edmonton to welcome home nearly 2,000 soldiers back from Afghanistan.

Kids played free games, including laser tag, bounced inside jumpy castles and took rides in light-armoured vehicles. Several children sat wide-eyed as a woman showed them bugs and snakes. The Canadian Cattlemen’s Association provided a steak barbecue at the event.

“This is by far the best family day I’ve ever been to,” said Moloney. “It’s way better for kids to see this side of the army rather than the stories in the news.”

For Aidan, the petting zoo was the main attraction. “Dad, guess what? The pig jumped on the donkey,” Aidan said after a small scuffle in the animal pen. The preschooler spent more than 30 minutes in the fenced-off area, patting a bunny and chasing a chicken around the yard.

“That’s a pretty popular game in Afghanistan, too — chase the chicken,” said Moloney, who got back from his tour about six weeks ago.

Warrant officer Gerry Shaw was also glad to spend a sunny weekend with his three children and his wife, Melanie.

Shaw got back from Afghanistan at the end of April.

“Obviously, you miss them a lot,” he said of seven-year-old Trystan, four-year-old Aniah and one-year-old Kobe, who was just three months old when Shaw went overseas.

The Shaws plan to spend a quiet Father’s Day at home, relaxing with family.

“I’m very happy to be home for Father’s Day — until all three of them start screaming and fighting,” Shaw said with a laugh.

Sarah Vokey’s husband, Aaron, got back in May from his seven-month tour. The couple has two boys, ages two years and 11 months, and Sarah is pregnant with a girl.

“We’ll probably cook him breakfast. My son will help me make pancakes. That’s his favourite thing to do,” Sarah said.

“It’s nice to have him home. The oldest is old enough now to appreciate Father’s Day.”

http://www.montrealgazette.com/travel/Dads+home+from+Afghanistan+celebrate+Father/3177155/story.html

           (Reproduced under the Fair Dealings provisions of the Copyright Act)


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## R. Jorgensen (20 Jun 2010)

Stories like this always make me smile. I'm happy for Pte. Moloney, I don't have kids of my own - yet - so I don't quite know the feeling but I'm sure him and the famiy sure appreciate it


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