Pease Greeters send off troops before the holidays

PEASE, N.H. — Hundreds of soldiers left for deployment Friday at Portsmouth International Airport at Pease, two days before Christmas.

“It was truly amazing to get off and experience this. I had no idea, especially little old Portsmouth, New Hampshire, who'd have thunk it? It was really quite touching,” said Captain Mike Collishaw from Manchester.

Collishaw arrived at Pease from training in Fort Bliss, Texas, he had just a few hours before deployment to the Middle East.

Nearly 200 greeters both big and small said thanks to each solider in what's known as the "heroes' walk."

The volunteers offered food and conversation for 179 troops, devoted to giving them a proper send-off to those sacrificing their holidays for their country.

“Ask me if I’m proud to be a New Englander or I’m proud to be from New Hampshire. Hey, this is it,” said Pease Greeters Co-founder Chuck Cove.

Though these men and women won't be home for the holidays, they're comforted by complete strangers and one another.

Pease Greeters have been volunteering for 11 years, always making sure service members have someone to welcome them or see them off, often sleeping in the airport when flights come in overnight.

Cox Media Group