Family hoping dad can roll eggs too

CINDY WOOD/independent feature writer

Mr. President … your attention please.

Christopher, Joshua and Nataley Hattery of Van Wert are hoping the leader of the free world is listening, and the Hattery family hopes he hears their plea for an executive order to bring their father, Tech Sergeant Chris Hattery, home for Easter.

“Easter is a lot bigger deal now,” Nataley, 7, of Van Wert, said. “Because we really want my dad to go to the egg roll with us.”

The egg roll isn’t just any old egg roll. It’s the 2012 White House Easter egg roll, a tradition started 134 years ago by President Rutherford B. Hayes. Approximately 35,000 people will converge on the south lawn of the White House for the annual festivities, and the Hattery kids, along with mom Jodi, will be among those in attendance. While the family knows it will be a fun-filled day complete with lots of memories, the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity just won’t be the same without dad.

“I know we’re going to have a lot of fun anyways,” said Nataley. “But it will be a lot better if our dad gets to go with us.”

Right now, though, Sgt. Hattery is thousands of miles away, serving his country in his fourth deployment in his 16 years in the military. Scheduled to return to the states on April 16, Sgt. Hattery will miss the family’s trip to the White House by one week.

That is, unless fate steps in, or in this case, the nation’s commander-in-chief, who has the power to issue an executive order to bring the serviceman home a week early. “Honestly, it would be wonderful if my husband could join us, but we’re not getting our hopes up,” Jodi Hattery said. “We also realize there are a lot of negatives from the political standpoint, with the expense of bringing him home, and there are lots of other families who want their loved ones home too,” she added. “But the kids are absolutely having fun with it, and smiling and printing out flyers, so we’re just going to do what we can do and we’ll see how it goes.”

Recently, the Hattery kids have been scouring their neighborhood passing out flyers asking their neighbors to “like” their “Bring Chris Home” Facebook page. The children have also posted a video on You Tube, with features oldest son Christopher reading their letter to the President.

“As amazing as this opportunity is, it would be so much more amazing if our father was here to join us,” Christopher says in the video. “We are so proud of him, but it is hard when he misses so much. This time he missed Thanksgiving and Christmas, and he will miss Easter, too, unless you can sign an executive order and bring my dad to the White House on April 9. His name is Chris Hattery and he’s stationed somewhere in the desert. Thank you so much for considering our request.”

The expedition actually began when the children, who are home-schooled, were looking at the White House website to gather information for an assignment.

“We signed up to enter the lottery to get selected for tickets to the egg roll, and honestly, I didn’t ever expect to hear anything back at all,” Jodi Hattery said. “But I was actually on the phone with my husband when I got the email back, and I said to him, ‘I can’t believe we’re going to the White House’ and he had absolutely no idea what I was talking about.”

Hattery had never mentioned to her husband that she had signed the family up for tickets. “It wasn’t exactly a priority at the time, or something we were planning for,” she said with a laugh. “So he was just very confused. But the kids were extremely excited, but almost instantaneously, they realized that their dad wouldn’t be back yet and wouldn’t be able to go with us.”

Hattery was quick to mention that she is in no way disappointed, and feels privileged that the family was selected. “But it is kind of bittersweet,” she added. “We’re not complaining at all, but of course, the kids really want their dad to be there with them.”

Sgt. Hattery is hoping for the best as well. He has sent an email to President Obama, asking to be released early so he can join his family at the White House. The kids have sent emails and letters, and are asking people to spread the word about their Facebook page and send emails to the White House as well.

Jodi Hattery said despite the workload being somewhat easier when her husband deploys, her children are now at the age where it is very emotional to watch their father leave on another deployment.

“I never expected to be a military wife, but you just do what you have to do,” she said. “But it’s definitely rough. It was even more difficult when I had three babies, and I thought it would be easier when the kids were older; but emotionally, it’s been so much more difficult for them.”

Adjusting to a new routine typically takes 6-8 weeks after their father deploys, and then there are tears, or dreams about daddy coming home.

“It’s absolutely heart-wrenching to watch your children go through that,” she said. “But we do the best we can do and we count down the days until he will be home.”

Regardless of the outcome, the family is certainly looking forward to their trip to the nation’s capital. And with, or without, dad, they know they will all have a trip worth remembering.

“Of course, we’re going to have fun,” Nataley said. “Hopefully, we can have fun with our dad though.”

Jodi agreed and said they’re just happy to have this moment to share. “And you have to ask for something in life if you want it, so we’re asking.”

Mr. President, are you listening?