Soldiers Who Served In Afghanistan Getting Married
AURORA (CBS) -- A soldier from Aurora who spent the past year serving in Afghanistan is home not just in time for Christmas -- but also to tie the knot.
Army Lt. Anthony Huebner is marrying a fellow soldier from his brigade Saturday. The two met in the ROTC program at Marquette University five years ago.
The Huebner home feels a little warmer and a lot brighter. For mom Carrie, she feels complete again now that her son has returned.
"It's just really important for all of us," she told CBS 2's Susanna Song. "It seems like it's been a long year, and we're just really glad it's finally happening."
Huebner and his fiancée, Lt. Stephanie Thompson, will walk down the aisle Saturday afternoon at St. Rita of Cascia. It was not only love at first sight. It was love at first bite, Stephanie said; the couple had their first date at Jimmy Johns.
Since then, they've shared good times and bad. The two have "done life" together through a war. For the past year, they've served in the 173rd Airborne Brigade Combat Team in Afghanistan.
"They're really good about keeping us together. We've been able to stay on the same path," Stephanie said.
Asked about their future plans, they say they're taking it one step at a time and just living in the moment.
"To get all of our friends together and celebrate with us has been outstanding," Anthony said.
And that's one thing they don't take for granted.
"We're lucky we got back just in time for the holidays, but there's definitely still a lot of soldiers over there that don't get to spend this time with their families," Stephanie said. "Keep them in your thoughts and prayers."
Anthony's mom, Carrie, considers the wedding her Christmas gift. But she doesn't have a lot of time with her son and new daughter-in-law. They return to their base in Germany on Dec. 28.
The wedding will be very much a military wedding. Anthony will wear his dress blues, the officiator is a chaplain with the Illinois Army National Guard, and most of their friends are in the Army.
