Photo By Sgt. 1st Class Julie Wallace-Myles | Kaitlyn Merts (left), spouse of Pfc. Joseph Merts, an Oklahoma City native, with...... read more read more
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FORT HOOD, Texas – Having attended a ball etiquette class, Kaitlyn and her husband had learned all the do’s and don’ts of a traditional military ball. And with that knowledge, they were looking forward to attending the 1st Air Cavalry Brigade Ball in June.
But the one thing the class didn’t teach was just how much attending a ball would cost.
Seventy dollars in tickets, plus hundreds for a gown, hair, makeup and childcare expenses, they soon realized going to a ball is not as easy – or cheap – as they had thought.
“There’s no way we’ll be able to attend the ball without carefully budgeting,” said Kaitlyn Merts, wife of Pfc. Joseph Merts, an Oklahoma City native, with Company D, 4th Attack Reconnaissance Battalion, 227th Aviation Regiment, 1st Air Cavalry Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division. “After seeing the expenses, we lost hope of being able to go.”
Little did she know, there were plans in the making to help them out.
After Kaitlyn and Joseph attended the etiquette class, the 1st ACB ball committee decided they wanted prepare a surprise for them, it being the couple’s first military ball experience.
A surprise that would leave Kaitlyn speechless.
“I knew something was going on, because my husband told me to be dressed and ready, but wouldn’t tell me where we were going,” she said. “There was a knock on the door, and my husband told me to answer it because it was for me. What I saw was a group of people with balloons that yelled ‘surprise!’”
When she opened the door, she was greeted by members of the ball committee holding a sash and tiara to crown her princess for a day.
They also presented her with gift certificates to see the Fort Hood Fairy Godmother and to get hair and makeup at the Texas Hair Company salon.
“The committee was happy to see her excitement and eagerness to learn about the ball,” said Tonya Dunn, ball committee member and spouse of an Air Cav Soldier. “We all remember our first ball, so we wanted her to have the best, worry-free experience.”
“I was looking for an opportunity to do something good for someone,” Dunn added. “The committee, the Fort Hood Fairy Godmother, and the owner of the Texas Hair Company salon arranged a gift package to provide this young couple the opportunity to attend their first military ball.”
In addition to these gifts, they were also given a pair of ball tickets, ultimately allowing the couple to experience their first traditional military event.
“I never expected something like this to happen to us,” said Merts. “I’m extremely grateful and looking forward to attending the ball. Thanks to the committee, the ball will actually happen for us.”
| Date Taken: | 05.07.2015 |
| Date Posted: | 05.12.2015 13:37 |
| Story ID: | 163032 |
| Location: | FORT HOOD , TX, US |
| Hometown: | KILLEEN, TX, US |
| Hometown: | OKLAHOMA CITY, OK, US |
| Web Views: | 81 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Fairy Godmother ensures Cinderella gets to the ball, by SFC Julie Wallace-Myles, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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