Grayslake Marine returns for holiday and dad’s wedding
By Long Hwa-shu Special to The News-Sun November 25, 2010 7:36PM
Marine Cpl. Jordan Pugliese gets a hug from his grandfather, Joe Pugliese, a veteran of WWII and Korea and member of the Deerfield American Legion Post 438.
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Updated: April 2, 2011 5:29PM
For Jim Pugliese of Grayslake and his family, it was double happiness this Thanksgiving.
His 21-year-old son, Jordan, a Marine Corps corporal who served in Afghanistan, came home on Thursday. For himself, he is getting married Saturday.
“This is a very special Thanksgiving for me,” said Pugliese, 50, manager of a Jewel store on Chicago’s North Side. He and his former wife, Sallie, were divorced four years ago. They have four children.
“We purposely held off our wedding to that my son can attend it. We’re very blessed that he went overseas to serve his country and came home healthy,” he added.
Pugliese drove to O’Hare Airport before dawn on Thanksgiving Day to pick up his son, a triplet, while the rest of the family, including the two triplet daughters, Caitlyn and Brittany, was waiting in the parking lot near McDonald’s at the intersection of routes 120 and 45. So was their mother. They had been there since 7 a.m., keeping themselves warm in their cars in the chilly morning.
When Cpl. Pugliese arrived at the parking lot, he was greeted by a motorcycle escort of 15 flag-bearing members of the Illinois Patriot Guard. They applauded as family members and well-wishers stood in line to embrace him.
“It’s amazing to be welcomed home like this,” said Jordan, who appeared to be tired after a long, delayed flight and for a while was nearly speechless.
“I’m so happy to see you,” he said as he embraced his two triplet sisters, who last saw him when he was deployed to Afghanistan.
“I’m just so excited, so proud of you,” said Caitlyn, one of the sisters.
Jordan’s eldest sister, Traci, a Gurnee police officer, said her brother’s homecoming “makes this Thanksgiving a lot to thank for.”
Jordan, a 2007 graduate of Grayslake High School, flew in from San Diego. He is on a three-day leave to attend his father’s wedding. He has been stationed at a base in Twenty-Nine Palms, Calif., since October after a tour of duty in Afghanistan.
After the brief welcoming ceremony at the parking lot, the Patriot Guard riders escorted Cpl. Pugliese to his father’s home in Grayslake with Grayslake police squad cars and fire trucks leading the way.
“Soldiers who serve our country deserve to be welcomed home. It’s our way to say thanks to them,” said ride captain Al Oller.
Among the riders was Keven French of Gurnee. “I come from a military family. I’m here to show support for soldiers coming home from overseas,” he said.
“I do not know him, but I also went to Grayslake High School where he went. I just wanted to thank him for serving our country,” said Sandy Whiston of Wildwood, who drove to the parking lot at 6:30 a.m.
The welcoming party included the Jordan’s uncle and aunt, Mike and Mary Pugliese, who would host Thanksgiving dinner at their home in Hawthorn Woods.
“We’re going to have ham, duck and two turkeys and beer and wine. There will be 50 people,” said Mary, holding her 7-year-old daughter, Jora.
Jim’s bride-to-be is Lisa Tatter, executive director of Lake County Affordable Housing. who was present at the welcoming ceremony. They will be wed Saturday in Libertyville at the home of her parents, Ric and Elise Potenz.
“I’m very fortunate to find Lisa. We’ve been dating for 1½ years,” Jim said.
“I’m happy he is home. We postponed the wedding so he could attend,” said Lisa as she watched the heart-warming reception in Thursday’s drizzle.
Jordan will return to base at the end of his leave. He plans to leave the Marine Corps in August and then enroll at Northern Illinois University.
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