Foxborough Native Reunites Marine with Family for Holidays

A U.S. Marine from Massachusetts will be surrounded by his family this week thanks to the assistance of a Foxborough native.

After two years away from home, U.S. Marine Lance Corporal Benjamin Bauman surprised family members in Medway last weekend when he appeared at a family function unannounced. The arrival was a complete shock to Bauman’s family, who had only told his uncle to make sure everyone was outside his family’s house for his grand entrance.

“Until my uncle had started to gather everybody outside, it was just another normal Christmas party for them. Then my mother had walked out and she had to do a double-take. The true meaning of shock and awe,” Bauman said.

It’s been a long two years for the Medway native who joined the Marines in 2012. Outside of deployments to Afghanistan, home has been the Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center in Twentynine Palms, Calif. Due to the financial restraints and the price of plane tickets from California to Massachusetts, a return to Medway seemed nearly impossible.

”I don’t know if you can pull this off or not but I haven’t seen my mom in 2 years and I know how much it would mean to her......so can you,” Bauman wrote in a Facebook message to Eliopoulos.

It didn’t take long for Eliopoulos to find help. Only minutes after receiving the request and talking with contacts, she had 17 offers to bring Bauman home. Those asking to help induced a firefighter Watertown, a boutique owner from Dracut, and even a real estate developer in Los Angeles.

“It means the world to me that there are still people out there who are willing drop what they are doing and help out veterans,” Bauman said. “And it isn’t to just help me. I know that if I had a brother in arms that needed help I would be there to help him, and so would they.”

With offers near and far, it would be a local charity and businessman that would provide the funding to bring not only Bauman, but his wife Hailey home to Medway. Erin Vasselian of the Sgt. Daniel Vasselian Memorial Fund was the first to respond to Eliopoulos with an offer to pay for Bauman’s ticket. By 9 p.m. Thursday night, only 30 minutes after Eliopoulos received that first message, Vasselian booked a plane ticket for Bauman, but there was still the matter of Hailey, who has family have never met.

Steve Coote, of Foxborough’s Square Foot Management and Construction, learned of Bauman that night through Eliopoulos, who asked him to pass the story along to anyone who could assist with the homecoming effort. A veteran himself, Coote more than understands what it’s like to remain stationed away from home, starting his first tour of duty in 1989 and not having a Christmas at home until 1993.

Although Bauman’s flight was covered, Coote would make sure Hailey could make the trip, simply telling Eliopoulos, “The wife is coming too, I’m paying. Bring her home for the holidays too!”

“Quite honestly, I don’t think too much about these things. I just sent Lauren my credit card number and asked her to make sure the Marine and his wife made it home,” Coote said.

Finally, Vet Air, a non-profit that provides flights for veterans and servicemen provided, at no cost, provided a flight from Boston to Mansfield after learning of Bauman’s story on social media. The extra flight would reunite Bauman with George, two friends who last saw each other in a world that was nothing like their hometowns.

By the morning of Dec. 19, less than 48 hours after that first message, Bauman and his wife were on a plane to Logan Airport, and then Mansfield Municipal Airport to meet with Eliopoulos and her brother. That afternoon, the Bauman family was reunited, at least for the holidays.

“For our family, it’s what Christmas is about,” Eliopoulos said.

Bauman and his wife didn’t come empty handed either. The two arrived with their unborn child, who is expected to be born in February.

Photos and video courtesy of Lauren Eliopoulos.