MILITARY FAMILY WELCOMES LEAP YEAR BABY
Story by Sgt. 1st Class Laura Berry
Callen Paul Chambers was originally due on March 9th, but he decided to surprise his military family early by being born on Leap Year 2020.
Callen was born to Jamie and Shannon Chambers of Charlestown, Mass.
“The name Callen has Irish roots to the word ‘warrior’. Paul is my middle name and my Father’s name,” said Jamie.
Sgt. 1st Class Jamie Chambers graduated high school in 1999 at 17 and joined Massachusetts National Guard that summer. He will have 21 years in August.
He also plays for the Mass Guard Hockey Club — “Redlegs”.
He originally joined as a Fire Support Specialist and later became a National Guard recruiter.
“It is the best job or, should I say, career I ever had,” he said. “The biggest reason is I get to recruit in the area I grew up in and played hockey in. I meet so many high school kids with no direction just like me, and I am able to relate to them on a personal level.”
He said it means a lot to him to be able to build that trust in the first meeting and change the applicant’s life.
“The other huge benefit is that I still live in this area, so giving back to the community means more to me than most. Getting my kids and family involved in charity is a great feeling.”
Jamie and his wife, Shannon, have been together since May 2010 and were married in June 2011. Shannon works for the city of Boston as a paraprofessional at the Harvard Kent School in Charlestown.
Their adopted son, Tyler, is 25. He works for the City of Boston lighting department. Alannah is nine and is in the third grade. She loves hockey, softball and acting. Tara is six and loves Mickey Mouse and learning on her IPad. He said the family goes to Disney once a year and that is especially special for Tara.
“Tara has Autism and learns differently than most kids,” said Jamie. “It’s always a treat to see her eyes light up when she sees her favorite characters up close.”
Last but not least, comes their first boy, Callen, who is now almost two months old.
“Don't forget Chief and Scout our two Rottweilers!” he said about his other two family members.
Each child has a special birthday to the family. Alannah was born on Feb 15th, the day after Valentine’s Day and her maternal Grampy’s birthday. Tara was born on July 3rd, the day before Jamie’s favorite holiday, and now Callen is a Leap year baby.
“I love my girls dearly, but I am very excited about having a boy and being able to name him for my Father,” said Jamie. “My dad means the world to me. He taught me to always be a leader and not a follower — to work hard and have the things he never had. My dad worked at the Boston Garden for 48 years, sometimes he had to work 90-100 hours a week. He never wanted his kids to go without. I hope that I can give my kids the same values he gave me.”
| Date Taken: | 03.09.2020 |
| Date Posted: | 06.01.2020 13:08 |
| Story ID: | 371187 |
| Location: | CHARLESTOWN, MA, US |
| Web Views: | 92 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, MILITARY FAMILY WELCOMES LEAP YEAR BABY, by SFC Laura Berry, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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