A Georgia high school student is finally getting to thank the American soldier who saved her life, so many years ago when she was just an infant.
Eighteen-year-old Lava Barwari was just a baby in 1996 when American forces participated in Operation Desert Strike in Iraq. The infant, along with her mother, found themselves on Saddam Hussein’s notorious “kill list.”
The pair knew they had to leave the country as quickly as possible. The U.S. arranged papers for Barwari’s mother but, due to a clerical error, baby Lava wasn’t allowed to leave with her.
That’s when an American soldier named Greg Peppin stepped in. He cradled Lava Barwari in his arms, pronounced she was a relative, and scooted her onto the transport so she could be with her mother.
He spoke to WSB-TV Atlanta about the long-ago incident:
“I said, ‘My name is Greg, so if the baby’s name is Greg it’s got to be a relative and that means she can go.'”
Barwari ended up growing up in the suburbs surrounding Atlanta, a far cry from war-torn Iraq.
Now, as her graduation from high school neared, she decided it was time to thank him. She found Peppin online:
“The day I got Lava’s email was one of those signature days that kind of make your life worthwhile,” he said.
He flew across the country, taking a leave from his job at Boeing, to attend her graduation ceremony and to finally give her the hug that had been a long time coming:
“I said, ‘My name is Greg, so if the baby’s name is Greg it’s got to be a relative and that means she can go.'”
“The day I got Lava’s email was one of those signature days that kind of make your life worthwhile,” he said.
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