Uncle Sam
02-11-2004, 11:45 AM
http://www4.army.mil/ocpa/read.php?story_id_key=5657
http://img19.photobucket.com/albums/v56/deathdot/WeddingToast2004-02-09.jpgNEW YORK (Army News Service, Feb. 9, 2004) -- An Army specialist wounded in Iraq and his fiancée from Syracuse, N.Y., were married Feb. 6 on Live with Regis and Kelly as millions watched across the country.
Army Spc. Robert Fleming of the 10th Mountain Division and his fiancée April Zehr got "the wedding of their dreams during Live's Wedding Week," said Michael Gelman, the show's executive producer.
Family and friends filled the studio on Manhattan's upper west side, which had been transformed into a flower-filled bridal fantasy. In a moving ceremony highlighted by the beauty and pomp of military tradition, Maj. Stephen Nagler, installation chaplain at Fort Hamilton, N.Y., united the couple in marriage.
Throughout the show, the final "Wedding Week" surprises were revealed to the couple. They included:
* Live music provided by top vocalist Seal, performing his new single "Love's Divine,"
* Platinum wedding rings
* Wedding night accommodations at Manhattan's Waldorf Towers,
* An Hawaiian honeymoon,
* A congratulatory letter from New York Governor George Pataki,
* And a lavish wedding reception at Tavern on the Green
In an especially emotional moment, Fleming was reunited live via satellite with dozens of proud soldiers from his 10th Mountain Division company which is still stationed in Fallujah, one of the most dangerous areas of Iraq. Good friend Spc. Andrew Amenn led his fellow soldiers in raising the first toast to the Flemings.
How did this soldier end up getting married on national TV?
After putting out the call to viewers in December, the Live producers received more than 3,000 letters about special couples wanting to be married on the show. From those submissions, producers selected Fleming, a soldier with the 1st Battalion, 32nd Infantry Regiment, 10th Mountain Division at Fort Drum, N.Y., and nursing student fiancée April Zehr of Syracuse to be the couple who, the producers promised "would experience the wedding of a lifetime," courtesy of Live with Regis and Kelly.
Melissa Zehr, mother of the bride-to-be, wrote a touching letter about April and Robert - soul mates who have faced challenges on their path to the altar. After being separated for months while Fleming was deployed to Iraq in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom, they had planned to marry while he was back on leave in upstate New York in December.
However, four days before the infantry specialist was due home, anti-coalition forces - using a roadside improvised explosive device - ambushed his unit near Fallujah, Iraq. Fleming was severely wounded and eventually evacuated to Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Wash., D.C. Obviously, wedding plans had to be postponed.
Since Fleming's stateside return, April has been at his side as he endured extensive reconstructive surgery and worked through his recuperation. She's helping nurse him back to health and supporting him throughout his medical treatment.
All week during the show, the couple shared the preparations for their wedding with Live's national audience. The week was highlighted by the surprise presentation of the Purple Heart to Fleming on Thursday's show.
Surrounded by family and friends, Fleming was awarded the Purple Heart by Col. Mark Milley, commander, 2d Brigade, 10th Mountain Division (Light) at Fort Drum near Watertown, N.Y. As Milley related the details of Fleming's heroic service to his country, the audience gave the young soldier a standing ovation.
On Friday, Soldiers from Fleming's home unit at Fort Drum provided an honor cordon, complete with crossed swords for the wedding ceremony. A color guard and soldier-guests helped fill the studio Friday as the culmination of the week-long buildup.
http://img19.photobucket.com/albums/v56/deathdot/WeddingToast2004-02-09.jpgNEW YORK (Army News Service, Feb. 9, 2004) -- An Army specialist wounded in Iraq and his fiancée from Syracuse, N.Y., were married Feb. 6 on Live with Regis and Kelly as millions watched across the country.
Army Spc. Robert Fleming of the 10th Mountain Division and his fiancée April Zehr got "the wedding of their dreams during Live's Wedding Week," said Michael Gelman, the show's executive producer.
Family and friends filled the studio on Manhattan's upper west side, which had been transformed into a flower-filled bridal fantasy. In a moving ceremony highlighted by the beauty and pomp of military tradition, Maj. Stephen Nagler, installation chaplain at Fort Hamilton, N.Y., united the couple in marriage.
Throughout the show, the final "Wedding Week" surprises were revealed to the couple. They included:
* Live music provided by top vocalist Seal, performing his new single "Love's Divine,"
* Platinum wedding rings
* Wedding night accommodations at Manhattan's Waldorf Towers,
* An Hawaiian honeymoon,
* A congratulatory letter from New York Governor George Pataki,
* And a lavish wedding reception at Tavern on the Green
In an especially emotional moment, Fleming was reunited live via satellite with dozens of proud soldiers from his 10th Mountain Division company which is still stationed in Fallujah, one of the most dangerous areas of Iraq. Good friend Spc. Andrew Amenn led his fellow soldiers in raising the first toast to the Flemings.
How did this soldier end up getting married on national TV?
After putting out the call to viewers in December, the Live producers received more than 3,000 letters about special couples wanting to be married on the show. From those submissions, producers selected Fleming, a soldier with the 1st Battalion, 32nd Infantry Regiment, 10th Mountain Division at Fort Drum, N.Y., and nursing student fiancée April Zehr of Syracuse to be the couple who, the producers promised "would experience the wedding of a lifetime," courtesy of Live with Regis and Kelly.
Melissa Zehr, mother of the bride-to-be, wrote a touching letter about April and Robert - soul mates who have faced challenges on their path to the altar. After being separated for months while Fleming was deployed to Iraq in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom, they had planned to marry while he was back on leave in upstate New York in December.
However, four days before the infantry specialist was due home, anti-coalition forces - using a roadside improvised explosive device - ambushed his unit near Fallujah, Iraq. Fleming was severely wounded and eventually evacuated to Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Wash., D.C. Obviously, wedding plans had to be postponed.
Since Fleming's stateside return, April has been at his side as he endured extensive reconstructive surgery and worked through his recuperation. She's helping nurse him back to health and supporting him throughout his medical treatment.
All week during the show, the couple shared the preparations for their wedding with Live's national audience. The week was highlighted by the surprise presentation of the Purple Heart to Fleming on Thursday's show.
Surrounded by family and friends, Fleming was awarded the Purple Heart by Col. Mark Milley, commander, 2d Brigade, 10th Mountain Division (Light) at Fort Drum near Watertown, N.Y. As Milley related the details of Fleming's heroic service to his country, the audience gave the young soldier a standing ovation.
On Friday, Soldiers from Fleming's home unit at Fort Drum provided an honor cordon, complete with crossed swords for the wedding ceremony. A color guard and soldier-guests helped fill the studio Friday as the culmination of the week-long buildup.