War briefs from California

COSTA MESA, Calif. (AP) There was a surprise guest at VirJean Olsen's Easter dinner, but he didn't touch the ham, potatoes or chocolate dessert.

Olsen's grandson, wounded Marine Sgt. Aaron Wintterle, was picked up by his parents at the Camp Pendleton base hospital and they were heading to grandma's house Sunday afternoon. Wintterle was shot in the mouth during the war in Iraq.

``It's nice to be home,'' he said.

Olsen had been preparing Easter dinner at 2:30 p.m. Sunday when she got word that Wintterle's parents were bringing her grandson. Dinner preparations stopped and decorating began.

When Wintterle arrived two hours later, seven American flags hung from the front of Olsen's Costa Mesa home. Taped across the garage door was a banner saying, ``Welcome Home Aaron, Our Wounded Hero!''

Wintterle, who turns 23 on Wednesday, joined the Marines nearly four years ago.

``I'm really glad we went in,'' he said about the war. ``I think it made the U.S. a whole lot safer place. (It was) a necessary step to take to keep terrorists out of our country.''

Wintterle was wounded April 7. He was left with shrapnel in his tongue and upper lip, and four missing teeth.

``I don't remember much after that,'' he said. ``I remember explosions going off. They put me in the back of a Humvee.''

He learns this week if more surgery is planned. His tour of duty with the Marines ends in August, and Wintterle said he's considering re-enlisting.

``Oh no you won't,'' his grandmother said.

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VENTURA, Calif. (AP) More than 600 military families were Easter dinner guests of the Pacific View shopping mall, which was closed so spouses and kids of deployed military personnel could celebrate with food and a visit with the Easter bunny.

Heather Bratton, a Navy wife and mother of three, was one of the Navy wives on hand. Her husband, Mike, is an avionics technician whose Point Mugu-based squadron VAW-117 is aboard the USS Nimitz in the Persian Gulf.

``This was a really tough day. In all our years together, this was this first time I've really been totally alone with no family around,'' said Bratton, who is originally from Chicago. Her husband is from Arkansas.

She took children Emily, 6, Kyle, 4, and Allison, 5 months, to the Pacific View celebration along with friend Sue Carlson and Carlson's 6-year-old son Grant.

``We have our own kind of family in the Navy,'' Bratton said as she admired her son Kyle's freshly painted Spider Man face. ``My kids are having a good time. That's what counts.''

The free Easter dinner and party featured egg hunts, music, face-painting and pictures with the Easter Bunny for more than 600 people from local military families.

``It's been OK. We've got friends the other wives to help get us through,'' said Carlson, whose husband Scott Carlson is aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln. ``I think it's really great they had this for us.''

Mall marketing manager Alice Love said the event was a wartime thank-you to families stationed at Naval Base Ventura County.

``They've given so much for us,'' Love said. ``This is just a small thing we can do for them.''

(Copyright 2003 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)