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| Preschooler reunites with soldier parents |
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| Written by John Saiz / Patterson Irrigator | |
| Wednesday, 26 December 2007 | |
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Patterson lost one of its younger residents this month when 2-year-old Marissa Heyward rejoined her parents, who had spent the past year in Iraq.  Sgt. Monica Heyward (left) and Sgt. Maris Heyward hold their daughter, Marissa, 2. The couple returned from Iraq this month and took Marissa with them to Texas. She had been living with her grandparents in Patterson. Courtesy photo Marissa lived at her grandparents’ Patterson home for about a year, ever since her mother, Sgt. Monica Heyward, left to rejoin the U.S. Army. While going oversees meant leaving her daughter, it also meant reuniting with her husband, Sgt. Maris Heyward. Now, the two sergeants have left the car bombs and mortars behind, with plans to start their post-Iraq life in a Texas apartment. “When they came home, (Marissa) was maybe shy for like a minute,” grandfather Allen Hay said. The day before they left for Texas, Marissa sat on the carpet of her grandparents ’ home, scribbling in a book. Her grandparents, Allen and Lori Hay, said she was uncharacteristically quiet that day. They suspect she knew a big change was about to happen. “I think she’s very aware,” Maris Heyward said. She switched between her mother’s lap and her grandmother’s as her father quietly watched. He often lost track of the conversation as his focus drifted to his daughter. The Army has been a central part to the Heywards’ life and family. Though their military obligations stopped Monica and Maris from living with their daughter, they allowed the couple to meet in the first place. While serving in the same Texas unit, Monica, a 2003 Patterson High graduate, met Maris, a South Carolina native. As a result, Texas seemed like a nice, central location to settle. “With his family (in South Carolina) and mine here,” Monica Heyward said, “we figured we’d go somewhere in-between.” While the Heywards still have about another two-year commitment to the Army, they have been guaranteed they will not have to be stationed overseas. “It’s in our contract,” Maris Heyward said. That means the Heywards can look forward to long stints of uninterrupted family time for the first time since Marissa was born. “You can stay here and raise this baby,” Allen Hay said. For the past year, that’s been Allen and Lori’s responsibility. When Marissa went to live with them in September 2006, the couple were on the verge of becoming empty-nesters — Lori’s youngest was about to graduate high school. And then they suddenly had a 1-year-old to take care of. Though there were many tired nights, the Hays said it is hard to see their granddaughter go. “It’s pretty much like the baby’s yours,” Allen Hay said. Lori Hay talked about how different it was for her granddaughter to leave, compared with her children. “You’re ready for your (grown children) to leave,” Lori Hay said. “(Marissa) is totally dependant, and I know she’s going.” While the Hays started missing Marissa this month, the Heywards have missed her for more than a year. They first heard Marissa say, “Hi Mom, hi Dad,” over a telephone. Monica Heyward said she used to share photos with a fellow soldier who was also away from her child. “You want to be there for your child, but you’re halfway around the world,” she said. Maris Heyward said he missed his daughter, but it was not something he often discussed with his fellow soldiers. “I think it’s a man thing,” he said. “We didn’t really talk about it.” Their commitment to the U.S. Army has required major sacrifices, but the Heywards also hope to reap some of the military’s rewards. Both joined the Army shortly after high school with the hopes of using it as a launching pad. Maris thought it would be a good chance to earn money for college while gaining real-world job experience, and Monica had similar ideas. Now, the 22-year-olds have several years of experience in their fields and are entitled to money for college. Maris plans to find a job in the communications industry, while Monica wants to go to college to get more training in human resources. “I really want to go use my G.I. bill,” she said. To reach John Saiz at the Irrigator, call 892-6187 or e-mail him at This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it
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