All Gloria Smith wanted for Christmas was to spend time with her three children.

She got her wish when her son, Private First Class Jimmy Lehman, a Marine who had been stationed in Afghanistan, came home late last year, joining his brother, John and sister, Ginger Hawks at his mother’s home in Austinville for a nice family Christmas dinner.

“My prayers were answered,” Smith said. “He came home, he is safe, he is uninjured and he is home for Christmas. I am too tickled to comprehend it all.”

Lehman, a Carroll County High School graduate, enlisted in the Marine Corps via delayed entry in 2007. He entered boot camp at Parris Island in early 2008 and had been in combat in Afghanistan since May 12, 2009. He returned stateside in November and came home in time for the holidays before he left for his permanent duty station in Hawaii on January 5. Lehman is expected to return to Afghanistan in November 2010.

Smith said she worried about her son daily. Lehman is in the infantry, so he has been in the middle of combat in the war against terror.

“Hardest few months I’ve been through in my life,” Smith said. “I am saying to myself this is my child. He has done more than I have ever dreamed of, he’s been out of the country, more than I’ve done, I am very proud of him but when he is deployed I am sick every moment. It’s hard to watch the news and my other children fuss on my me because I am glued to the news.”

While Lehman was safe during his tour of duty, he said goodbye to at least one good friend.

“At times he was in the middle of everythihg,” Smith said. “One of his friends in the same unit got sent home in a bodybag and he called me on my birthday, the 25th of September, and I thought he was calling to wish me happy birthday, but he was upset because they were sending his friend home in a bag and I was upset and forgot about my birthday, he needed me, someone to talk to and stuff.”

In addition to Lehman, at least two other Carroll County servicemen came home for the holidays. Eric Semones and Shane Chappel, friends of Lehman’s got to spend time with family. Semones and his wife had a child earlier in December.

On June 26, Smith participated in a care package drop at VFW Post 1115. In all, 36 packages were sent from Carroll County to troops overseas, giving them a few of the comforts of home and reminding them that people love and miss them and hope they make it home safely.

Smith said with all the sacrifices the troops make to keep us free, it’s the least folks can do to keep them in their thoughts and prayers, if not more.

“If the people in the area would keep the troops in their throughts and prayers and hearts it would be a blessing,” she said. “Right now these troops over there need all the prayers they can get.”