Whitemarsh Elementary School student gets surprise visit from military mom

A Whitemarsh Elementary School first-grader whose mother has been away for months training with the Army National Guard was delighted by her surprise appearance at school today.

“I was coming out of the cafeteria and I saw Mommy (in the lobby),” said Logan Cattani. “I started screaming when I got outside and everyone in my class was hugging me.”

She then ran to her mother’s arms for a long overdue embrace. The two have not seen each other much since Nov. 7, when Anna Cattani left for basic training in Fort Sill, Oklahoma. Once she finished basic training, Anna then moved on to advanced training in Fort Huachuca, Arizona, to become an all-source analyst. Anna was permitted to return home to visit during the holidays and one weekend in May, but other than that, her contact with her family has been limited to periodic phone calls.

While the distance between the two might have been far over the past several months, teacher Miss Alexa Watt said Logan kept her mom close by drawing her pictures in class and asking for pictures to be sent to her. 

“She really is missing her a lot,” Miss Watt said. “She mentions her all the time.”

Logan had the chance to share all of her drawings and letters with her mother when she was picked up at school early for some much-deserved family bonding. Logan said she is looking forward to “doing arts and iPads” with her mom, whom she did not expect to come home until the end of the month.

While being apart from her children is difficult, Anna said it helps her recognize the value and importance of “mundane” tasks like getting a child ready for school. 

“Being able to take my kids out and do stuff is such a gift,” she said.

She decided to serve as a way to develop her career and provide a better life for her children, and is honored to be able to give back.

“What we do is so important for the community and the country,” she said.