Screencap: Capitals
Army PFC Nathaniel Lee was in for a major surprise during Friday’s Washington Capitals game at Capital One Arena: news he and his family will be going home for the holidays in Arizona.
PFC Lee, currently stationed at Fort Belvoir in Virginia, was enlisted in the army on September 8, 2020. He performs maintenance and inspections on aircraft. PFC Lee was surprised with a video from his mom, who said, “I wish we could spend the holidays together this year, but know that I’m thinking of you guys and I love you guys very much.”
The surprise did not end there. He was told he was being recognized for being in the military. Instead, Jack Daniel’s Operation Ride Home program, part of the Armed Services YMCA, surprised PFC Lee and his family with plane tickets to return home to Arizona for Christmas.
Video: Capitals
Since Jack Daniel’s Operation Ride Home program began in 2011, the partnership has generated a total of more than $1.8 million in donations and sent a total of 8,583 individual junior-enlisted service members and their families home when it mattered most. Servicemen and women from the Army, Marine Corps, Navy, Air Force, and Coast Guard have been assisted with travel to all 50 states.
Thank you for your service, PFC Lee, and happy holidays to you and your family!
By Della Young
