Kids & Family

Riverhead Welcomes Home A Hero

Navy Commander Tim McAllister, a Riverhead police officer, returns home Friday evening.

Riverhead residents have the chance to welcome home a local hero who is slated to touch down in the United States Friday evening, when his plane lands at MacArthur Airport after serving overseas for six months.

United States Navy Commander Tim McAllister will be greeted with open arms by his family, who will be at the airport waiting.

"We're very proud of him," said McAllister's mother, Nancy, who lives in Jamesport.

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Her son, said McAllister, is in the Navy and was promoted to commander while he was overseas. A graduate of the State University Maritime College at Fort Schuyler, McAllister, 43, has been serving in Africa since March, his mom said.

Her son's mission was humanitarian, she added; McAllister was serving in Djibouti, working with residents and teaching them life-saving techniques.

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"He did a lot of work helping children who had infections," McAllister added. "He told me the children were barefoot; most had no shoes."

McAllister, his mother said, asked if she could somehow help. And so, Riverhead and Jamesport residents rallied together for the cause -- and McAllister sent over 100 pairs of flip-flops overseas to her son, to help the children.

Her son, said McAllister, also helped to innoculate animals, including goats, camels, and cows. "One day, a little boy walked five miles in his bare feet, with his cat, because he heard the soldiers were going to help the animals. My son said, 'Mom, we don't really do cats -- but we helped him.'"

McAllister, who serves in the Navy Reserves and who also traveled to Tanzania and Kenya, did his best to help residents who are struggling to survive, his mother said.

"He sent me a picture of a school. The school was a tree, with some sort of cardboard blackboard. There were logs spread out for the children to sit -- that was the school."

Her son, said McAllister, has one daughter, Hollie, 6. While she has seven children, including another son who is now retired from serving the United States, McAllister said it is never easy to watch as son fly a world away, uncertain of exactly where he will be deployed.

"They don't tell their moms an awful lot," she said. "They don't want you to worry."

McAllister said she tries not to focus on the uncertainty. "I try not to dwell on it, and instead, know that what they are doing is for the betterment of all of us."

Deanna Ziegler, McAllister's fiance, said it's difficult to go for long periods of time with no contact. "That's the hardest part," she said. "Just the day to day, not having your best friend around is hard."

While McAllister is coming home to the United States, he will only be home on the East End for two days before going to Virginia, where he is still technically deployed, Ziegler said.

Ziegler, a special education teacher, cheered McAllister and other troops with care packages of homemade cards and gifts made by her students. "He made sure things got distributed to soldiers who might not be getting a lot of mail," Ziegler said.

Of the news that her son will be home Friday, McAllister said, "It's wonderful."

Also returning home is Senior Chief Jeff Callaghan of Kings Park; Callaghan has served his last deployment and is retiring from the Navy. Callaghan is also a New York City firefighter. The Long Island Chapter of the U.S Veterans Motorcycle Club will be onhand to welcome home Callaghan and McAllister.

The club also asks that those who are welcoming the heroes home respect the privacy of the men as they are coming home direct from being deployed and have not had downtime in the United States yet.

Date: Friday, Sept. 28

Where: Long Island MacArthur Airport

Escort Staging: Airport Diner, Lakeland & Vets Hwy

Check the McArthur Airport Facebook for updates on arrival time. As of noon Thursday, the flight arrival time had been changed to 10:50 p.m.

Note: Please bring American flags and signs of thanks and welcome home.

The club also asks that if you are participating in the escort, please abide by the following:

  • During escort please keep bights and spotlights off, as well as any non-dot lighting off.
  • If you have a bike-mounted flag, please have one designed for road use, such as Rivco.
  • There will be outriders as well at emergency vehicles supporting this escort, so you must stay in the escort lanes and do NOT sway into other lanes.
  • This is a ride at your own risk escort.

 Please attend the diner ride briefing if you plan on participating in the escorts.

The motorcycle club asked members to spread the word, as the Welcome Homes are a community event; everyone that supports the United States military and veterans are encouraged to attend.


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